Wednesday, April 15, 2009
to: everyone, with love
being sick for 3 days isn't a nice feeling at all, but there was a remedy waiting in school. i went back to support my buddies who are making their final speeches of this semester, and was quite surprised that i missed a few people, dang.
commemorative speech, a speech that is written and delivered to honor a special reverence that impacted each of us in anyway possible.
i chose to do on Lord of the Rings, as delivered last thursday, i chose that, not because of how handsome legolas looks, but rather the timely re-appearance of these movies despite not being able to appreciate it the last time i encountered them, as opposed to Harry Potter. i remembered shunning away the comments i read online about the comparison of HP and LOTR, but it was at that timely return that made me see light, and differentiate a true classic from another.
in the darkest days, i remembered hatred, disappointment, hurt, and all possible negatives. i craved for a direction out of the darkness, a source of light. i know where my remedy is, but it was too heavy to consume at that time. and now i know, that it was more than mere chance, that brought LOTR back into my life, as Gandalf said 'the rolling of small stones that starts an avalanche'. i saw more important things, i was reminded of who i was last time. and it was then, the phrase 'you'll learn to treasure after you lost it', was understood completely.
as opposed to such a crazy idea of commemorating a trilogy of movies, my classmates chose to commemorate important people in their lives, historic figures, inspirational mentors who made an impact on their lives. some of the commemorated still lives, some have passed on.
as each individual began to deliver their speeches, be it their mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, siblings, best friends, friends who were gone, historical figures, my vision was blurred. some of the speakers, too, shed tears, of whichever emotion that they felt at that point of time. that, is something no words can describe, unless you felt it yourself.
and i start to wonder, is it just me? or am i really missing out on alot of things in life? or is my life just as no-life as can be? or that these people are just more fortunate than i am?
persuasive, informative, introductory speeches were not as revealing, as the commemorative speech. i saw a different side, perhaps an unmasked side of many, what truely touches their hearts, and what they have became. i saw people crying when delivering speeches, when i know they are much stronger in character than i am, i saw people tearing, when i know they are much more brave than i am.
but each speech, as i have come to realise, tells two stories. one about the commemorated, the other about the speaker. and each story, has their own motto and message to deliver.
and through their speeches, i've learnt not to give up,
be more appreciative of even the most bitter encounters in life,
joy can come in the smallest and simplest form
not to let self-emotions and commitments affect others who are not involved,
after learning how to love oneself don't forget to love others,
look deeper into each small aspect of life whether living or non-living and learn
just because you are in a bad shape doesn't mean you shouldn't help others
i thank everyone for their inspiring speeches, appreciate the suppression of emotions to deliver the speech, and admire their courage to share such deep impact.
