One defining day of my last year in high school, was the day before Easter break, where the entire school gathered in our chapel and remembered those we lost in the past year. It was extremely upsetting to say the least. Toward the end, one of the teachers in my school took to the podium, he was the oldest, wisest, and jolliest teacher in the entire school, so the somber look on his face was unfamiliar to us all. He continued to talk about life, chances, and dreams you can’t let slip away. In one long pause, and final deep breath, he dropped the bomb on us that he had cancer. His tone was sincere, and his voice as sure as anything. He said he would be okay, but he wanted to address us and speak openly, honestly and publicly about what would be in-store for him in the coming weeks.
He spoke with such confidence, in a setting completely appropriate to what he wanted to convey. He was able to match the emotion already found in the room and almost turn it around into a life lesson. If I had to classify it, rather than it being a sad moment, he twisted it into a motivational speech, a moment to learn from and grow. It was a defining moment in his life, where his knack for public speaking transformed the audience from upset, into a group driven to get the very most out of life. The way the room felt after it all was said and done, was that of understanding compiled with many different emotions. The audience, my peers, reached a new understanding with my teacher, the speaker. Public speaking is not effective unless a connection between the audience and speaker is made. In this moment, the connection was very clear and blatant, which played into this speech becoming something that no one will ever forget.
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