March 31, 2010-Water

March 31, 2010

One can never predict what the future has in store, at least I can’t. From starting a day with a French final which made me mentally exhausted to the extreme to ending an evening with an inspired and uplifted state of mind, the cliché of going with the flow style of living was once again proven to be beneficial.

The theme of tonight was water, a source where life is originated. Without water, our planet earth would forever be covered in dirt, forever be shadowed in dullness and forever be trapped in the death silence of lifelessness. I liked this theme. The message of one necessity of a human’s life, water, was conveyed through another essential necessity, which was the ability to speak. We, human beings, are born as pack animals. Our tendency and longing to connect with each other predestine the birth of humanity. Being able to communicate clearly and efficiently not only brightens up one’s inner world, but also helps the continued existence of our human history.

We all look for inspiration in life. Every time that I attend our club meeting, I instantly feel like that I’m in the presence of inspiration. Tonight was no exception. Members, such as Joe, Don, Adam, and Tina who never once skipped our club gathering, whose enthusiasm and dedication for the public good made me realize the insignificance of my temporary fatigue, and the importance of consistency.

Nick did a good job tonight as Grammarian. He introduced us to lauder, a word that probably the majority of us would rarely incorporate into our daily vocabularies. His interesting pick not only pumped up our curiosity, but also helped broaden our knowledge of the English language.

The diversity of our club cannot only be understood ethnicity wise; it also manifests itself in the variety of chosen table topics and the different level of difficulty imbedded in each of the question posed. As the table topic master of the night, Mr. Don Mckellar’s in-depth knowledge of tonight’s theme was certainly well reflected in the questions that he created. Although some of the questions could be challenging at times to some participants, however, I could feel for sure that regardless the quality of the improvisation, we all had fun.

The part of prepared speeches was consisted of three icebreakers, three speeches, which could be described as profound, energetic and sincere. Grahame’s speech was very profound according to me. What I took away from his speech, entitled “Something bigger” was the importance of taking risk when it comes to any kind of self-help or self-improvement. The reason why I considered his speech to be profound was because his bravery and willingness to share with all of us his vulnerability; he not only talked the talk, but also walked the walk. He made himself so relatable to all the listeners, all of us who all had experienced some sort of insecurity at some points in our lives when he said: “I may look good on the outside, but I look for cover on the inside”. A very well prepared first speech. As for Mr. Michael Anderson, he was so energetic. I always admire Michael’s determination to confront his fear. His icebreaker was certainly a true representation of his energy and a magnificent embodiment of his friendly personality. Last but not least, Farah’s sincerity was so pure that I felt everyone in the room tonight was extremely intrigued and entertained by her unique interpretation of the Canadian experience.

Kris, Adam, Sandra, Mega, David, and Ken all did their jobs wonderfully tonight. As a new member to the club, their commitment and love for public speaking, and for helping others overcome the obstacle in life are some of the great characters that I feel aspired to develop in the near future.

Thanks to all of you,

Chun Qiao