April 20, 2021
With all that has been going on in our country, and world, I figured I’d take the opportunity to speak out.
When I say speak out, I literally mean that. I’ve been a part of Toastmasters for the past couple years. If you don't know Toastmasters, it’s a global group of individuals who work to improve their public speaking skills. I figured joining the group would help me increase my speaking abilities. Similar to training, in order to get better you need to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.
In September of 2020, I decided to embark on a new journey, the journey to become the Toastmasters' world champion of public speaking. There are multiple levels that you must win beginning with the club level. Your local Toastmasters club has a contest. You have to write a 5-7 minute speech, present it in front of the group, and the judges select a winner. I won my club competition. I then moved on to the next round, the area competition which was held last October. I won that round also.
Some of you may have registered and logged on for the division level which was held last month in March. If you were there, then you were able to celebrate with me as I won that round too. Now, I'm on a roll!
Next up? The district level. I’m facing off against winners from other districts across the state of California. Then comes the regional contest or quarterfinals. That round will then have me battling other speakers from different regions across the globe. Then will come the semifinals, and the finals.
The Toastmasters International Speech Contest is a time for speakers to share something impactful, a message that will resonate across the land. Without giving up all of the goods, I believe that I have a strong message:
I Wish the World was Blind.
That might be a little bit off from a grammatical standpoint, but that’s my title and I’m sticking to it.
Today, we’re seeing it all unravel right in front of our faces. There has been blatant mistreatment and murders committed by law enforcement. We had a very interesting presidential race and I think I heard the outcome was rigged? Tons of things going on in our country and world. As I talk about in my speech, I wish the world was blind.
We just might live in a better place if people could see beyond what is in front of their eyes. If you could see more of my character than my color, things would be better. If we didn’t operate with so much pride, we just might be even more productive. If we weren’t so focused on imposing our beliefs on others, we just might be able to work through imperfections.
It’s truly a shame to know that our world is evolving in so many ways, but when it comes to matter of race, growth seems to stall.
May 15th is the next round of the International Speech Contest. I’ll be there, dressed to the teeth, and ready to go. I’d love for you to mark your calendars, register for the event, and root me on as I go for the title.
It’s going to be a great day for sure, but most of all, you’ll get to learn why I wish the world was blind.
Photo credits: Blindfolded youth photo by Asiama Junior from Pexels
