I've always had a fear of public speaking... my hands shake, my heart beats faster than usual, my cheeks get red, my palms sweat... and all the other side effects of fear that come along with it...
I became a bit better at it as I got older after I went I through a couple of public speaking classes. These days, it takes a shot of Vodka or anything, for that matter, to do the trick...
Everytime I watch someone get up and make a speech at any event, I think about how much it takes to get up and speak in front of people. Some people might not have any problems speaking in public, but they still have to put their words and thoughts together, which is hard enough.
I've heard many good speeches, but the best ones have always told a personal story. Personal stories are what keep people listening... that might be why you guys are still reading this stuff...
When Armen was best man a couple of years back, I never thought he'd make a speech... I thought, "he's probably not going to do it... but, I hope he does..." Then, as the wedding was a couple of hours from coming to an end, he got up on stage, with a glass of Cognac in his hand... as I got up on stage to stand next to him, I thought, "I wonder what he's gonna say?" So, like everybody else, I listened...
He began by saying, "When we (him and the groom) were young, we'd play chess together all the time... One day, we were playing chess, like any other day, and, somehow, we both ended up with two Kings... we started arguing with each other about who the winner was, and, it was weird to us how we had both ended up with Kings... we started arguing and yelling at each other, and, my aunt came over to us and told us, both, to leave the house to calm down a bit... we never really figured out how the game had ended that way... Now, today... I realize that without a Queen by your side, nothing works out... Tonight... your Queen is by your side and the game goes on... so, Congratulations to the both of you, and, know that I will always have your back, no matter how the game plays out... Cheers!"
At this point, I was so surprised at his words and sentimentality that I just looked at him for a while...
I've attended a few events this year... I've noticed that some people don't quiet down for a speeches at times because they don't feel the need to, or, they, simply, don't care about what that person has to say... If people hadn't quieted down for Armen's speech, it wouldn't have had as much of an impact and meaning as it did...
Tip of the Day: Quiet down and listen to people's speeches... you might just learn something from them, or, you might just hear a personal story that you will never forget.
"Write to be understood, speak to be heard, and read to gorw..." Lawrence Clark Powell
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