… about the National Alzheimer’s Project Act, and how its passage will impact me and D and others. I decided to focus on caregiving and gave my opinion on how federal funds can be used to assist those who take care of us dementia patients.
Okay, I didn’t really know I was going to get up in front of all those people, so I threw something together at the last few minutes, put it in my head went up there and did the best I could.
I thought I had it dicked, but my voice sounded like a nervous Don Knotts in places, and I forgot some very important points I wanted to make.
I paid attention to the other speakers, and many of them read their speech with no problem.
Having spoken live in my radio days and also hosting various functions back then, I thought I could get through it, but after hearing those other folks, I could have slapped myself for not having something written down and just reading it like a tv newscaster used to: looking up every now and then and emphasizing stuff.
So how is it for you guys, when you have to give a speech if you do? Do you write the whole thing out and read/talk it from a lectern or do you have it so ingrained that it goes as smooth as butter with no “Don Knotts-Quaver”?
Generally, I write the whole thing out and more or less memorize it, but then I also write an outline, and reference *that *while I’m giving the presentation. That keeps it from being too stilted, and allows me to change direction if I can tell I’m losing the audience (or if they’re really interested in one portion, I can add things on the spot), but it also saves me from getting totally lost. If I try to do that with the whole text of the speech, I end up reading it despite myself, and I hate that.
If it’s a topic I know very well, I’ll just write the outline and create the words on the fly.
I cannot stand people who read their speeches. Ever, in any context. It’s stilted, it’s distracting, and it makes me think you don’t know your topic well enough for me to listen to you. There’s nothing more boring, except maybe for those people who put every word of their presentation in a Power Point and show it to you while they read it at you.
I think what “saved” me was that I began with, “It’s been a while since I spoke in public, so how about y’all cuttin’ me a little slack?”
I was going to start off by tapping the mike and saying “The electrician must be a democrat”, but that disappeared from my mind along with a bunch of other stuff.
My aim was to get them to laugh right at the start, so it would take some of the pressure off.
But you know, if I’m asked, and have enough prep time, I’d like to speak publicly again.
Thanks, WhyNot. It sounds like you’ve done plenty of public speking.
Be exceedingly careful with political humor if you’re not at a political event. People can get really offended by even the gentlest joke…sometimes I think they don’t even hear the joke, just hear,“Blah blah blah blah blah DEMOCRAT!” and choose to get offended.
It’s fun, isn’t it? Are you familiar with Toastmasters International? It’s a nonprofit group for people who want to work on their public speaking. Some for business, some for school, and some just because it’s fun! Maybe you’d like it.
I did it competitively in high school. Then in college, whenever points were available for a “presentation”, I always chose that over any other option. For a while, I worked running a small college where we’d have Open Houses and recruitment days and such, and I would address prospective students and the community. Finally, I do workshops on herbalism and women’s health and sometimes witchy stuff, like writing and leading ritual, ethics in neopaganism and myriad related topics. So yes, honing my public speaking skills has served me very well!
Two full minutes? Without notes? With early dementia? And you didn’t didn’t trail off on tangents, coming to the point where you say, “What was it I was talking about?”
People here accuse me of posting drunk, which happens, but I’ve been doing the above all my life. Bully for you! Toastmasters may help you keep that brain working longer than you expected.
I did Toastmasters for a while, and some of what you describe sounds very familiar. I would bet anything that those in your audience never heard the Don Knotts quality to your voice.
When giving a speech I definitely prefer to prepare it ahead of time. I stopped writing them out after the first few speeches. Instead I would just practice over and over until the speech sort of grew and polished itself as I practiced. Eventually I got to where I was pretty good at speaking off-the-cuff, as well, but a prepared speech was always more comfortable for me to deliver.
That’s what I was thinking too, that even though I was so nervous I could thread a needle on a running sewing machine, it was kinda fun at the same time.
I went to the toastmasters’ site and did some reading, and will give it a go, WhyNot. Our chapter needs folks to go out in the community and speak, and I need to be more involved than just the blog, so that little taste I got today was a nice motivator.
dropzone, those 2 minutes seemed like weeks!
Orr, G.;), there were some folks there who did as you said (spoke off the cuff), and they made it look really easy.
I talk on Civil War historical topics to various groups every other month or so, on average, and usually for anywhere from 30-45 minutes or so. I have fully-written speeches but riff and improvise on them pretty often. I’ve been doing this for about 15 years; never understood why public speaking scares so many people. I’m weird that way.
Keep in mind you’re seeing the end of the process. If you still have access to those people you could ask them how they prepare. Start out by telling them how much you enjoyed their talk and how impressed you were by how calm they looked. Compliments always help when you’re about to ask for something
Glad you’re looking into toastmasters, it’s a great organization and it really helps a lot of people develop the skills to communicate their ideas and thoughts.
