Defeat!

I lost my Toastmasters speech contest yesterday, and that was unpleasant. I had won the first two rounds of a four round contest in which competitors give "Tall Tale"-style speeches. It felt as if I had something akin to the winning speech from last year's humorous speech contest, and while I won't say I was complacent, I did feel as if I might be fated to have it happen for me again. I did nothing different on that basis, but perhaps expectations were a factor nonetheless.

There is really nothing to do in such a contest but the same thing over and over again. The competition has no ability to impair you, nor you them. It was therefore of no consequence to me who I would be facing before I saw them at the contest yesterday. Once I did, I felt little concern over the threat they posed, not (like I said) that I changed anything consciously. I wouldn't know how to ease up at that point.

Still, it was my worst performance of the three time I did the speech. I have been tired a lot lately, and that may have had something to do with it. The venue may not have helped. It was rather cavernous by comparison with the ones in earlier rounds, and given my reliance on humor, an intimate place is best (but then the final round of the humorous speech contest was in such a place). I also ducked low to the ground at a couple points in the course of giving my speech, and as everyone was seated at tables, I may have been less than visible. There are plenty of possible reasons like those.

Those are things to consider in future, but for now such recriminations are not helpful. I always try to remember an article I read which talked about the many reasons why you might win or lose something. Merit is only one reason out of many. In truth, I merited no better than the second place finish I got, though I could have gotten better with some luck. As it happened, people who deserved it as much as me or more finished worse. I must remember that just as I must remember that what matters in such a contest is the education it yields and the friendships that show themselves both in victory and defeat.