"What Silence Do You Speak?": My First Public Speech

So far it looks like August has been a month for sharing YouTube videos on Keturah's Korner. I hope you all don't mind ;)

Last month my dad told me I was invited to speak at a conference.
Now, I love words in any shape and form, as long as they are educated and clean. Yet, I warily asked, "Why and what for?"

You see, I've never actually spoken publicly before.

"The conference is on journalistic ethics. And because you're my daughter."

"How many people will be there?"

"I don't know. Maybe a hundred?"

And so I agreed.

Dad asked, “What will you speak on? I need to know for the program."

I told my dad I'd have to think about it. Which I did as I cleaned the rest of my houses that day. A few hours later I called him back with my title.

Ready to speak ... I know when to look like a hippie, and when to not ;) 

 But. As all things go with my life, this speaking event didn't quite turn out to be what I thought it would be.

Meaning, it wasn't really on journalism at all but was some sort of radical libertarian thing. And with our family included, there might have been thirty people there?

Almost everyone else was dressed trashily, making a poor representation for Libertarians. I had a hard time following along with the majority of the speeches (not to say good things weren't said ...) and there was no order or structure.

 My books all set up by my mom. I actually sold a couple despite there not being many people there.

I'd been excited for this event for nearly a month, but when I saw the actual event advertised on FB and then I actually showed up ... it was all I could do to not cringe. 

I'll be honest guys, I was disappointed. 

Now, I'm not anti-libertarian. Most of the podcasters I love like Ben Shapiro, Candace Owens, and Steven Crowder lean more libertarian than anything, and while I consider myself independent from any party, I relate a lot to libertarianism. 

But I am anti crazy for the sake of crazy. I am against games that have no goals. I am anti-hate when there is no reason for hate. I believe America needs to remember what it means to be righteously angry, but I am soo anti anger when it's not fueled by the love of something higher than ourselves.

I didn't want to speak. I didn't want this to be my first public speech, or for this to be used against me for the rest of my life. 

But I spoke. 

My whole family. 

"Why?" You might ask. 

Because I agreed to, and because I was there, and because words should never be silenced just because you are in the face of something you might not like. 

I spoke, because ironically my speech was titled "What Silence Do You Speak?"

Ironically, I'd already written in my outline:

"Blessed is the man who having nothing to say, abstains from giving us wordy evidence of the fact." George Eliot

//But cursed is the man who refrains from finding something worthy to say//

///A voice without a mind is static, more annoying and evil than silence///

The first page of my outline

There were many smart people present. In fact, there was no one there that I didn't like.
But the appearance and atmosphere of the place is what turned me off, and will prevent this sort of movement from growing with real strength of any moral qualities.

What you wear, how you act, and how you appear, will always make a statement. 
What are you trying to say?

If you can't even pretend to have it together in how you dress, act, or speak, how do you expect others to follow you in making this country better?

People see you and then they see your ideas.

I know it probably sounds like I'm being tough, but politics are important, not some adult game. Either you know what you're doing, or you don't. That doesn't mean you should stop doing but that you need to start learning. 

People want to follow capable people, not someone who looks like they are struggling to simply dress. We want a government that knows what it's doing. We already have enough people leading us nowhere.

Probably the best part of the day for me, was afterward when I had a lively, friendly debate with the man that hosted the event. 

We agreed on some but disagreed on enough for me to say, "I disagree. But try and convince me. Because if you can't convince me, you won't be able to convince others."

We mostly argued about socialism and what we should do through initiatives to make the government work better for the people. It was an amazing debate, which I wish could have been recorded. Because I think y'all would've enjoyed it equally as well as we did. 

(That's what a good debate means, when both sided enjoy it and find themselves energized, not full of hate)

So was my day wasted? 

No. I spoke the truth. 

My mind was stretched. 

I practiced speaking. 

I could've done better. 

But I was inspired to continue to do better. 

"But it's not right to align yourself up to a world of hatred."

This world may not be my final home, but it is the home God has placed me in for the years to come. And until then, I as are you, am called to prick holes through the darkness of hatred with love-filled words of truth. 

I am God's representation. Through me, others see his light. Through me, others hear His words. 

I will not be silent. Even if I stutter over my words awkwardly, even if I forget what I should say, I will continue to go where God leads me to go. 

I will not remain hidden in my own world, waiting for the day when I can leave this hate-filled world.

I am meant to live a visible life that is hated, and I am meant to live such a life fully ... with a smile. 

Here is my video. 

Ironically, I'm a quiet speaker. 

Further irony; I've subtly introduced the third type of silence in this video without actually addressing it. It's called awkward silence.

Enjoy if you can ;) The sound is poor ;/

What silence do you speak? 

There are only two main types, and if you don't speak the one, you do speak the other.