Speechifying :)

I am sorry we have not been posting very often. The truth is, we've been super busy this week getting ready for my graduation because my party is on Saturday! :)
I have written my speech and am now reading it over and over. I *do* get to read it, rather than memorize and recite it, so that is a relief. :) But I want to read it with personality, hopefully. :P
I don't know if this happens to other people, but mentally I am not nervous, but in the moment my body responds nervously. I get really hot all of a sudden and then my mouth wobbles so that it takes all my concentration to keep a steady smile. :P Not so fun. :D
But anyway, I'm less nervous right now that I'd have anticipated I'd be less than 48 hours till The Moment. :D
I have been amusing myself by thinking of inserting famous movie quotes about speeches into my own speech. (Though I'm not going to do that for real)

Take Mr. Knightley, for example. "You know I cannot make speeches. Perhaps if I felt less I could talk about it more."

Or Bilbo's unforgettable 111th birthday speech! :)

Bilbo: "My dear Bagginses and Boffins, Tooks and Brandybucks, Grubbs, Chubbs, Hornblowers, Bolgers, Bracegirdles and Proudfoots." [cheers]

Old Proudfoot Hobbit: "Proudfeet!"

:) But in all seriousness, my speech will be given probably by 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. I'd appreciate your prayers for my nerves! :) ~Rachel

In Which I Speechify.

So I'm graduating July 16th and I have to give a speech. The writing of the speech does not worry me...it's the delivery that worries me. Of course, my dear friends remind me that it is only what God thinks of me that matters. That is a comfort, but my jittery feeling is by no means entirely squelched yet. I wish I could faint on command.....d'you think it'd work if I simply look at my dear Abigail and say, in woeful, Anne Shirleyian tones,

"I think I can be rendered unconscious." And then flop over? No? Rats.

I am putting the final touches on my speech before my wisdom teeth surgery in....2 DAYS!!!!!

Somehow, it feels terribly like writing a will before going to the guillotine. *sigh* The one nervousing feeling almost (but not thoroughly) wipes out the other. :P

Anyway. I was looking up public speaking tips and the ones that helped most, I've put below in order to remind myself and you if you're ever faced with this shocking predicament of having to speak in front of, perhaps, nearly 200 people! O.o

1. PRACTICE!!! You do not want to wait until you are five minutes from The Time and then start reminding yourself of what you've written

2. Be familiar enough with the speech that you do not have to read it as if it's a script. (I may cheat on this, and not do notes, but have my whole speech written out just in case my memory fails me. :)

3. If you're too nervous simply visualize your triumphant feeling at the end of the speech and try to calm yourself down by pretending it's already over. ;)

4. Release your nerves by having doing jumping jacks, jogging around for a second, or otherwise getting out energy. Then, depend on the rest of the nervous energy to get you through

5. Smile, no matter what. Even if something terrible happens, keep smiling, and, if possible, incorporate it into the speech to make everyone laugh. :P (Kinda embarrassing, wot?)

There you have it! :) Wish me happy speechifying! ;) ~Rachel