Words have incredible power. They can make people’s hearts soar or they can make people’s hearts sore.
A journey as an orator is an uphill task. It takes grit and guts to go up onto the stage and grab the centre stage. The Herculean journey which I began was at the age of twelve, in class 8. Until then I was unaware of my potential as an orator.
We had an Elocution competition for students on the occasion of Children’s Day. The student who had been selected to speak from my class had suddenly fallen ill. My English teacher spotted me and enquired if I could speak. I grabbed the opportunity and jumped at the offer. I went onto the stage and shouted ‘Headache, Headache, Headache.’ The topic was: ‘The pill that I had taken.’ The audience was awestruck and listened with rapt attention. All eyes and ears were on me. I was a star performer of the day. There was no looking back from then on…My oratory skills were recognised at college and University too. I won many an accolade for the same.
It is a disheartening experience for a student when he/she is deprived of an opportunity to speak and showcase his/her potential. This pain lingers even now deep down in the bottom of my heart of being a second choice. Needless to say, I make a conscious effort to ensure ‘No child is left behind’ with regard to showcasing his/ her talent. As a teacher, I motivate and at times coax my students to speak on stage.
Now when I walk back thirty five years down the memory lane it was indeed the pill of success that I had taken.
