A Bitter-sweet End

Today was the day for the Division International Speech Contest. I gave a good speech. I was proud of it. I really felt I did everything right. I sat down and felt satisfied, except for one thing...

As I watched the rest of the three contestants give their speeches, one by one, I couldn't help but compare them with my own perceived performance. These guys where all polished Toastmasters veterans, so I really had my work cut out for me. I thought I really hung tough with those guys and was proud of myself, except for one thing...

As we went to the break, people - almost everyone in the auditorium - stopped me to tell me how impressed they where with my speech and how powerful it was. Like anyone would, I drank it all in. I was absolutely beaming with pride. "Nothing can keep me from winning this whole thing, except for one thing..."

We finished our intermission and the meeting resumed with the evaluation contest. The model speaker was excellent. He was a "Big Brother" with Big Brothers and Big Sisters for eight years and was telling us about his special relationship with his "Little Brother".

The four evaluators came in one by one and gave great evaluations of the speech. Evaluations where never my strong suit, so I paid particularly close attention to this portion and got a few good ideas.

Then it was time to reveal the winners. The evaluation contest was announced first, and my friend, Lilly, won second place. Then it was my turn to find out how I did. I stood a pretty good chance, except for one thing...

The announcements where made and I was not the second place winner. The first place winner was announced and that was not me either. The reason as it turned out was not one thing. It was two things!

Toward the end of the speech, I noticed that the green light turned to yellow at a point where I was supposed to be farther into the speech then I was. I tried to pick up the tempo a little to remedy the situation. Then the light turned to Red and I still wasn't finished.

30 seconds left. I finished the speech as quickly as I could, but there was a lot to say for 30 seconds.

Two seconds. Two seconds separated me from a possible trophy today. I was Two seconds over the seven and one half minutes allowed to us.

Would I have won first place? I don't know. And quite frankly, I'm not really sure I want to know.

Now it's time to share with you the best part of the day. During the break something happened that I didn't tell you about. I was asked by a fellow Toastmaster to deliver a speech in front of his company.

Yes, it's true, I didn't win today, but I did walk out with something else that could be more valuable then a trophy. I walked out with an opportunity. How big is this opportunity? I don't know. I guess that is up to me to decide.