I enjoyed
being on the speech team in high school.
I don’t remember all of the events that I entered as we participated in
speech tournaments with other schools. I
know there was a limit as to how many each student could enter in each
tournament and I remember trying my hand at several different categories. But I do remember well that, as a junior, I
entered the original oratory category with a speech called, “Are We
Ready?” I can remember feeling the
spirit help me write the speech, feeling that sense of “joy” as the ideas
flowed in my head. I recently found a
copy of the speech when I was going through some memorabilia. I was actually a little embarrassed when I
read it. I remembered it being so
good. But then I remembered that I was
just fifteen years old. I think what I
found is the first draft as my teacher had written some notes on it. I’m sure I made some changes before I
presented it. Here is what I found:
ARE WE
READY?
We are America’s “younger
generation.” We are going to be the
leaders of this country before too long.
But are we ready? Do we know
enough about our country and its laws to defend, to our death, it’s cause? Do we know enough about our country to be the
leaders of it?
I feel that we, as America’s
“younger generation” are very apathetic to our country’s problems. We hear about the problems on the 5:00 news,
and maybe think about them a little bit, but then we just turn off the television
and go about our daily activities, without ever giving a second thought to
it. I feel that this is especially true
with the girls. They aren’t the ones who
are going to have to die for their country, so why care? For instance, which do you think is more
important to the average American girl?
Racial problems or facial problems?
Foreign care or what to wear?
Battle of pollution or battle of the
bulge?
How money inflates or getting dates?
Most of you would probably choose
the latter in each of these cases, for these are considered the teenage
problems. The first mentioned in each
case is the adult problem. Most of us
think, let them take care of it. They
always have before. Besides, I have
enough problems of my own to solve.
Well, isn’t it true? Don’t most
of the girls you know care more about they look and how they are going to get
that certain guy to notice them, than our country and its problems?
One of the main problems today in
America, I feel, is that we have always depended on the “other guy” to get
things done. The only problem is, there
is no “other guy,” there never has been any “other guy.” A great man once said, “The success of our
country has depended upon people who have done more than their share.”
I like the way CH Spurgeon put it
when he said, “You have the right to be apathetic to our country’s
problems. But when that right is taken
away, you can blame no one but yourself.
I never really thought about it in this light before, until I read that
quote. To me, it means that I have the
right to not care about my country and its problems, but when our country’s
freedom is taken away, and I no longer have that right, for I am forced to
care, I can blame no one but myself.
There is no longer any other guy to put the blame on.
I feel that America today is in a
deep run. We have so many problems to
solve that we are in a constant turmoil in trying to solve these problems. This might be compared to a car stuck in the
snow. The more you put on the gas,
therefore spinning the tires, the deeper into the run you get. I do feel that is the adults, the
establishment, which have got us into this rut, but I also feel that it will be
up to us, the younger generation, to get us out.
Maybe it won’t be us, though. Maybe it will be the generation that follows
us, the ones that are ten-years-old and younger now. They are still fresh in life and haven’t set
their lifestyle yet. Maybe some of you
have seen the poster entitled, “We’ve Only Just Begun.” As you know “We’ve Only Just Begun” is the
title of a popular song which talks about a couple and how they have just begun
in life and love. Maybe this is the
meaning that you get from the poster, too, but when I look at the poster, I get
a new and different meaning, maybe even one that the photographer didn’t know
was there. It is a picture of a little,
American, white girl sitting on a rock with a little American black boy on her
lap. They are smiling at each other with
a kind of innocent, maybe even naïve look on their faces. To me, this represents their entire
generation. Things might be different
with them for they have not yet been taught to hate each other or to be
prejudiced against each other. It is
going to be up to us, their parents and teachers, to teach them to not be
prejudiced, but let them make up their own minds and set their own
lifestyle. In the bible, it says that “a
little child shall lead them.” Maybe
this is what it means.
I am waiting for the day when my
generation, the younger generation, will put racial problems before facial
problems; foreign care before what to wear; battle of pollution before battle
of the bulge; how cost inflates before dates.
But I am afraid that this will never come. We have set our life style and will probably
stick to it. I’m afraid that on our 30th
birthday, we won’t just suddenly change over from caring about ourselves to
caring about our country. But we can
help by teaching our children in the right way so that they can be better
leaders.
We have a lot of preparing to
do. We are America’s younger
generation. We are going to be the
leaders of this great land. But are we
ready? Are you ready?
Like I said, I know I made
improvements in it because I remember some parts differently. I think this was the first draft I turned in
to my teacher. But I feel lucky to have
found this copy. I am so glad I saved
it. It was given by memory and I worked hard on the presentation.
I gave it at several speech
competitions and, as I remember, I placed 1st or 2nd at
all of them. I was invited to present it
at the American Legion Oral competition in Caldwell. The American Legion competition was held at
the American Legion Hall in downtown Caldwell.
There were three from our school participating: Me, our student body
president, and another girl. We waited
in a room and when it was our turn, went into the big hall which was filled
with veterans and their spouses. We
presented our speech. I took 2nd
place. Our student body president, Mike
Melea, took first. Several of the
veterans and their wives told me my speech was better, but they wanted to give
it to the senior. They encouraged me to
come back next year, hinting that I would win if I did. I was so disappointed. I felt I had earned the win and they were
just playing politics. At the end of the
year, some of the American Legion came to our high school’s awards assembly and
presented us our medals.
My senior year, my speech teacher came
to me and said that the American Legion had called to specifically invite me to
participate again. But I was still
disappointed and chose not to. I
probably should have.
I also used that same speech to
participate in a church speech competition and was chosen to represent our
stake in a regional festival. The festival was held in a church I had never
been to; far from home. I remember
being so nervous to stand and give it in front of all those people in a packed
church. I did well and received many compliments.
I am so grateful for the experiences I
had in speech. I learned to stand in
front of people and express myself, which has been a blessing throughout my
life- especially in church service. I
learned that I could compete and do well, and that built my confidence. I learned that our voices and words can be
instruments for good in our communities, churches, and in the world.
Following are
pictures of the speech team.
This one
from the yearbook
