speech time

Nope, you were wrong! Excitement was not the reason why I came very early to IPSR tonight. I was looking for my missing Media Com. I remember, TM Angel took out the green plastic bag containing the muli media and put it inside the meeting room. I want it back!

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The contest proper started quite late. The participants were late, the judges were late, and majority of the audience came very late. Good thing, TM Jojo handled the flow of the program quite effectively, hence we were able to catch up with the timing.

Being the 5th contestant, I opted to stay outside and wait for my turn. I know that watching other contestants deliver their speeches would just add butterflies on my belly. That is not to mention the chance that it will distract my focus on memorizing my lines. Would you believe, I am still dependent on the bullet point of ideas of my speech?

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I went to the lectern wearing shorts and t-shirt. I was carrying with me a toy car made of a tin-can. Took a pause after the contest master introduce me, then made drama salvo depicting an event in my childhood.

Then, I looked at the audience and greeted them. Call it magic, because after that moment when I saw enthusiasm in the eyes of the audience, all the hesitations and doubts that I had, simply vanished away. A felt a huge shower of confidence descended on me. It has given me energy to enjoy the speech.

Would you believe, I was no longer speaking to the audience based on what I have written? All I did was tell them a story about my life, my stages of growth, and the challenge ahead. In fact, I have only delivered 50% acuracy rate vs my written speech? The message was 100% intact, though. More than that, I delivered it in a simple and comprehensible words, that audience can easily follow.

I parted with the words:

I want to hear it fellow Toastmasters. Is that it? You will make me the best Toastmaster. Answer me Yes!

A thundering "Yes" echoed after my speech.