My First Public Speech

Once a week we left the classroom and went down to the school auditorium where we had speech class.   I soon learned that each one of us would be required to deliver a speech.   Everyone else in the class had already delivered several speeches.   I had absolutely no idea how you would go about making a public speech, but I was assigned the topic, “How to Be a Good Farmer.”  I went home and told Daddy what I had been asked to do.  He was elated.  Of course he had always wanted me to be a preacher, and he saw this as the start of my public speaking career.

I didn’t share the same enthusiasm.  I was scared to death at the prospect of embarrassing myself before classmates, some of whom were already hostile to me.    Daddy wrote the speech out.   Although he was a man of limited education, he managed to throw in a few fancy terms like “horticulture” and “animal husbandry.”  He probably picked those up from his 4-H club days.  I memorized the speech and waited for my turn to deliver it.  My delivery wasn’t nearly so polished as my rehearsals.   I could just see those guys making fun of me, although in truth this was probably one area in which I was their equal if not their superior.   Anyway I stumbled through the speech.  But I seemed to be one up on the kids who thought they were my superior.   I found an area where I could compete. 

The teacher offered some mild criticism, but mostly gave praise.   I remember one kid named John Henry.   I don’t remember his last name.  He left our school after that year.   He was a poor sharecropper’s child, but he had an amazing knack for public speaking.    He was warm, animated, and knowledgeable.  He was in his element.   He didn’t do well with courses like Math and English, but man could he talk.   The words just seemed to roll out of his mouth.

John Henry came up to me after the speech, and said, “You really did a good job, but you need to relax.  Just get up there and let them know what’s on your mind, and don't use any of them big words.”   I found out that John Henry didn’t prepare his speeches.   I guess he must have thought about them, but he basically just got up and let the words roll out.   I’ve often wondered what became of him.

Anyway that was the beginning of my public speaking career.   At that point I didn’t plan to let it lead me down the road to the pulpit, but I was obviously energized by what had happened.   Strangely enough, however I don’t remember the other speeches I gave that year.