Describe the first time you gave a speech

Mr. Ed

Mr. Ed

Be what you is not what you what you ain’t
Location
Central NY
I was a junior in high school and my DECA (distributive education clubs of America) suggested I run for state officer. I tried for VP but was offered state parliamentarian office. All candidates gave a speech to gain support and votes until the primary election and I was chosen for the office Ga. State ParliamentarIan DECA
 

Ha! I was talking to a Woman's group about the existence of Angels.
(How Angels are always with you, and hold so much love for you.)
just nice stuff. Quotes taken from my publications.
One woman threw her salad at me. (All over my suit)
She used language I can't repeat here and called me the devil, Satan, Lucifer. (SCREAMING!)
I've never seen so much hatred in anyone's eyes! Glad she didn't have a knife or a gun!

i still kept on giving lectures about my books but seriously thought about bringing chicken wire to wrap around the stage!
I'll never understand how people can feel so much hatred!
 
In school the main directive given by the teacher was that we should never thank the audience for listening to us. Gave my little speech and then endured a few seconds of fear and said ‘thank you.’ Wonder if that rule still exists.

Speaking in public or dying - I prefer the latter.
 
I never had to give a speech but had to run a small class for new mothers while I was in nursing school. It was very informal and I had more to show them than actual speaking for any length of time,
Keeping my mind on showing how to burp a baby ,making formula and bathing an infant etc. made it a bit easier. I doubt I would have made it through without my props.
 

Describe the first time you gave a speech​


Valedictorian speech
It was canned

Later, much much later, things came together
Seminars up the kazoo
Exciting things like inventory control JIT stuff
I tend to make mundane things less mundane

Of late I seem to be regularly nominated as guest speaker at funerals

I think it all started twenty some years ago at my sister's funeral
3000 folks packed that church

I ended up doing a stand up

it's rather easy to make sad folks laugh
the place roared

She'd of loved that
 
There were fifty people in the hall when the speeker asked them to put their hands in their pockets and make a donation.
Within minutes there was only one person there, an elderly lady sat at the front.

The speeker approached the woman and asked, "Are you going to make a donation?"

"You'll have to speak a lot louder, young man, I'm almost deaf", she shouted. :)
 
I took a public speaking class in college. I can remember giving a speech about thermodynamics which I researched heavily, and only got a “B” on. The woman who spoke after me gave a speech on making bread which everyone loved. I learned from this experience, and dumbed down my topics substantially thereafter... 🙄
 
The first time I gave a speech was in college. I was scared to death. I started worrying about it like three weeks beforehand and was losing sleep over it. When I finally gave the speech, I did okay and even got a few complements, but it didn't lessen my fear of being the center of attention. A speech class was required for my major, but I put it off until my final year, and then because of a scheduling conflict, I wasn't able to take it and instead took an interpersonal communications class in which I didn't speak in class at all.

About 15 years ago, I joined a Toastmasters club (after doing other things to practice first) and learned to enjoy public speaking, even though I never lost my anticipatory anxiety. That's the way it still is... I get anxious thinking about it, but doing it isn't that bad any more.
 
I can't recall my first speech but will never forget how nervous I was at speaking in front of 100s of parents when I worked for the school district for one year.
 
In Jr High, it was just to a civics class. We were doing a thing on possible careers. Took a test and my top 2 were archeologist and mortician. I chose archeologist and was supposed to give a 10 minute talk. I was terrified! I used note cards to help, but ran out of them after 5 minutes and then had to speak off the cuff for the second 5. My instructor told me the second 5 minutes were better than the first. Not sure if he was being kind or telling the truth, LOL.

Did not attempt it again until I was in college and gave a talk at a professional meeting, that one terrified me even more...

Ended up doing a lot of public speaking in my career, it always scared me. But I was told it did not show, apparently I looked calm cool and collected. Guess I faked things pretty well. Don't think I will ever have to do it again, a happy thought.
 
Irwin said:
Yikes! What was your position that you had to do that?
Click to expand...
I was hired to be the Community Volunteer Coordinator; quite a different job than what I'd done before. But, I did my best and had a great year. The school district (specifically 3 elementary campuses) had money for this one year job and I took it after taking a year off. I was astonished that I was hired out of over 60 applicants as I had no experience working in a school environment. I worked in a hospital setting all of my adult life.
 
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Gaer said:
Ha! I was talking to a Woman's group about the existence of Angels.
(How Angels are always with you, and hold so much love for you.)
just nice stuff. Quotes taken from my publications.
One woman threw her salad at me. (All over my suit)
She used language I can't repeat here and called me the devil, Satan, Lucifer. (SCREAMING!)
I've never seen so much hatred in anyone's eyes! Glad she didn't have a knife or a gun!

i still kept on giving lectures about my books but seriously thought about bringing chicken wire to wrap around the stage!
I'll never understand how people can feel so much hatred!
Click to expand...
I believe the woman was mentally ill. Weird, aberrant behavior.
 
When I gave my first speech, it was in front of about 800 people. My knees were literally knocking. No one seemed to notice as I was told later. LOL Terrifying! I was mid 20's.
 
Actually, I was more nervous when I attended the School Board Meetings and would at times be asked to report on the program. I would freeze... lol

Speaking in front of parents was totally different; they were so interested in volunteering and helping out.
 

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