CC Speech 6: Vocal Variety - Memorable Moments

I must say I had fun preparing and presenting my speech 6. Wish I am more motivated to prepare the draft of my speech earlier! This speech was basically prepared in half hour the day before the speech presentation itself. And the next day, I took about 10 min before the Toastmasters meeting to review and make final changes.

In this speech, basically I made use of the fact that it is almost end-of-year and people are pondering on what they have achieved in the previous years and come up with their new year resolution. However, I didn't just review the year 2007 as it is just too short and predictable to do. Hence, I delved even further into the history of my life and divide the speech into 3 segment of lifecycle, i.e. child, teenage and adulthood. As much as possible, I try to inject some humor and change my vocal variety by mimicking.

Below is the draft that I used to prepare for my speech 7 but of course, it is just an outline of what I intend to say and present but I did add on to it during the presentation as sudden moment of inspiration comes...

Finally, start with a clear mind and relax. Most importantly, have fun!

THE DRAFT

TOPIC: UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS

METHOD: NARATIVE & TIME SEQUENCE

PURPOSE: To tell audience about unforgettable moments during childhood, teenager and adulthood

OPENING

• end of year approaching
• new year resolution?
• Before that, Look back at life as passing the big 30!~
• Remembering about silly, happy, sad, exciting events in life

CONTENT

Stories:

• childhood – ghostly encounter
• love to watch ghost movies
• so scared hide behind pillows/mom/dad/anything
• now no more but I know some guys rather die than watch ghost movie
• one nite, watching till late at night
• mother warned don’t watch and go to bed – nightmares
• being a kid, just ignore and watch till the end
• get ready to bed, bed next to window
• look out of window into the jungle,
• suddenly see a light floating, getting brighter and brighter
• run like rocket to my parents room
• I was 9

• teenager – have the most 1st time experiences
• In kuching is all gals school
• Innocent, naïve, cute….
• relocated to new school in bintulu, studied for 2.5yrs
• 1st time in co-ed school
• 1st time actually see guys fighting over gal - Only seen tat in tv
• 1st time received love letter & going out on first date.
• 1st time holding a guy hand & feel his sweaty palm..ugh!
• 1st time having secret admirer (not so secret since I know who he was!)
• Many other 1st time – that I will never forget
• I was 14

• adulthood –
• when I was 21, that is the 1st time away from home for long period
• go to study in Nilai, N9
• taste of freedom
• I remember my housemate knocking at my door at 7am for our class at 8am
• she find me just about to sleep – chatting on my computer!
• And the time I will skip classes (ssshhh) and go take the ktm to KL for shopping, movie and occasionally, clubbing
• Last minute cramming for exams and looking like panda the next day
• Remembering those days really makes me smile sometimes at my silliness
• Those were the days

CLOSING

So, yah, I had a good 3 decades. Given the choice, there is nothing that I think I want to change in my past. And as the year 2008 approach, I look towards the future and know that I will create many more memories, unpleasant ones to learn from and happy ones to tell my grandchildren about.