The Day Of The Day

I've been in Toastmasters for a while now. I used to write about it more, but haven't in a while, so let me sum it up: one gives both prepared speeches and impromptu ones, receiving feedback on them in the form of evaluation speeches as well as voting. I have now given something like 25 speeches. That's a rough guess, but can't be too far off the mark. For the most part, I've given a speech once a month since I joined perhaps a bit less than two years ago. Having given so many speeches, I've had plenty of opportunities to consider the process of and leading up to 'Speech Day'. There have been changes over time as I've accrued more and more experience at it, so it's not quite as it was even the last time I wrote about any part of my methods in depth.

I often begin the process of preparing a speech at about the last minute. That's a bad habit, as it leaves me rather nervous on the day of the speech. When I don't have a speech on meeting day, I tend to get up at 9. When I do, I get up at 7 to work on it, because I have either not done a thing or have at best drafted a rough version. When I don't have a speech, I read and do other things on the bus over. When I do have a speech, I'm practicing in my mind, over and over again. I used to write out the speech completely and then work at memorizing it, practicing in my home over and over again with the chief emphasis being remembering the words. I stopped doing that after the first time I totally blanked in the middle of a speech. Now what I do is to jot down the key points, relying on my ability to fill in the gaps while in the moment.

Speech

As I said, my speech was on the subject of the situation in Tehran, and I did give that speech early this afternoon. I don't really have the energy to properly describe it, so look for that sometime Friday.

Apologies and the Speech

I haven't posted in a few days due to preparations for a speech, as well as an editing job. I return now with the prepared text for that speech. In delivering it, I diverged from the text only slightly.

My name is Calder Holbrook. I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. My childhood was a fairly conventional one for a boy raised in a middle class household. My mother Priscilla was a graphic artist for a number of print publications, including the leading daily newspaper in Arizona, but left the workforce to care for my sister and I. My father Peter was, and continues to be a cost estimator for a construction contractor with offices in several states. My sister Annie has always been a mystery to me, but is currently finishing her undergraduate degree at Arizona State and hopes to work for a record label or radio station.