Some people in my town who have seen me speak publicly have come up to me and mentioned that I do not seem used to it. Â That is true. I used to be a teacher (TA) in college, but that kind of speaking was very different from Speaking Up, which is what I call what I do nowadays. I have gotten better at it, but I am still not a strong public speaker, and I do not particularly enjoy it, and it occasionally still terrifies me. I wrote about this before.
But I have found that my voice is the best way to move things.
And things need moving.
Speaking Up and Speaking Out are simply necessary. So I do it. And I invite all of you to do it too. It’s not so hard and, even if it is, we must do what needs doing.
(This is a cross post with Wayland Voices – the Transition Wayland blog, where it’s not just me “speaking”.)
Probably most folks would say they aren’t used to or don’t like speaking in public. But, as you are proving, it is often a matter of doing it, getting used to it, and learning how to improve public speaking skills. Of course, it helps to believe in one’s cause like you do. :)
Perhaps smooth talking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Week after week the news is full of smooth talkers with their weasel words, propaganda speech, “out of context” lies, and even boldfaced ones. Perhaps a little honest, heartfelt speech is just what we need.