thoughts on being a speech geek

4 rounds. 7 speakers in each round. today was a great day. I was in my element, everytime i compete i am reminded of how much i actually enjoy speech, it may be a little bit tiring but nothing beats walking out of a room at the end of a round knowing i did my best. I love that there is a mutual respect among speech kids, we all want the other to succeed, just as long as they don't get in our way. The opportunity i have here in Dallas is to take part in a community of people who carry the same convictions and passions as myself. As i prepare for the last 2 rounds tomorrow i realize that what it comes down to with everyone here is that we all long to bring awareness about our topics. Whether it be self esteem, gay rights, or child abuse. We all want our voices to be heard. we want people to realize just how crappy the status quo is. We long to make a difference in this world. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what separates speech and debate kids from everyone else. We sacrifice everything for a chance to be heard.