Episode 4: The Suddenly Public Speech

Well, happy Thursday. Yesterday got away from me and I forgot to do a blog post.

Oh, imaginary reader (since no one has read any of these yet), I am terribly sorry. Clearly the world ended.

Except that it gave me an opportunity.

For years, whenever I've spent the week with my dad (or, more accurately, the latter half of the week) I have gone to visit his Toast Master's meeting. This morning, with the joys of Social Distancing, they met virtually.

So, I got to join.

I started in, the meeting ongoing while I did my stretches and conditioning, when my father spaketh to me,

"Dear child," he called, "we have ourselves but one giving the speech. I nominate thee as tribute."
"Oh father," spake I, "it shall beith my pleasureth!" (hey, if we're going faux-Shakespeare, it might as well be wrong).

So I spent the rest of the meeting--maybe half an hour--thinking about my speech. My thesis was that it was important to keep busy and have things to look forward to? Check! I could use the screen share to provide examples of what I was doing in that regard? Check! I would be calm yet engaging? Check.

And then I gave my speech.

Not until the end did I mention my thesis, I hid behind my screen for most of it (meaning my wild gestures weren't visible), and while I was engaging...well, sometimes calm is not in my nature. In short, I had all of the examples and none of the substance.

And ended up going over time, so no one could vote for me anyway.

But, you know what? I had fun! I have an experience now that I can look back at and improve (see the video if you want to watch it). And, really truly, isn't that what we should be looking at in this, the Time of Quarantine? If we stay too much in the present, then all we have is chaos. But, if we remember all the other times, then suddenly--for me--I can remember that there was a time before and there will be a time after.

This has been another Adventure in the Austentatious. If you liked it, tell your friends; if you hated it, tell your enemies; and if you don't care either way then tell everybody! Stay safe, be amazing...

And happy quarantine.