24 - Overload
Last week, I made a post about me firing on all cylinders and that I would continue trying my best to be a good public speaker and all. Now, I am tired, sleepy, exhausted, and I need a good break from things. Honestly, my schedule is extremely demanding. EXTREMELY DEMANDING.
Here is my schedule this week:
Monday: 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday: 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thursday: 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Friday: We had an activity where we went from Asia Pacific College to Intramuros. I left my house at around 9 a.m. and I arrived home at 8 p.m.
Saturday: I had my training with my fellow members of APC Speaks from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday: No activities planned for today.
It is a tiring schedule, is it not? Honestly, this schedule barely gives me enough time to sleep, do my usual hobbies (watch educational videos on YouTube, listen to podcasts, blog, etc.), and worst of all, I barely have enough time to talk to my best friends. During the weekdays, I usually wake up at 5 a.m. and I arrive home at 6-8 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, I only consider myself lucky when the teacher dismisses us early. My other blockmates have a 3 full days of rest while I, on the other hand, only have 2 days instead of the usual 3 (because I have training for APC Speaks every Saturday).
But hey, I got myself into this and, truth be told, I actually love training with my fellow members in APC Speaks. I do not know why, but the trainings we have fill a gap in my heart—possibly a need to stand up and speak up. I do not really know why I love public speaking so much, but maybe it is because of my experiences in high school.
You see, back when I was in high school, I was mostly overshadowed by other people around me. I did not speak much, as my other batchmates usually are picked when it comes to speaking. High school felt like a big person looking down on me and saying, "Look, kid, you are not as good as your other batchmates when it comes to public speaking. So let them speak up and you should just watch there in the corner."
You see, back when I was in high school, I was mostly overshadowed by other people around me. I did not speak much, as my other batchmates usually are picked when it comes to speaking. High school felt like a big person looking down on me and saying, "Look, kid, you are not as good as your other batchmates when it comes to public speaking. So let them speak up and you should just watch there in the corner."
What is worse is that it felt degrading whenever I spoke up because some jerk would try to say some things while I am speaking, or that they will disturb me, or they would say things about me while I am speaking. It was really a hostile environment and, during my entire high school life, I never really explored all of the possibilities to improve myself. I am also to blame for this as I did not take a lot of opportunities to improve. But at the end of the day, here is all I can say about high school: a wasted opportunity.
Now that I am in college and studying in Asia Pacific College, I can finally begin a new leaf and see the things I am really capable of doing. What shocked me the most was that I was good—or, at the very least, sort of good—in public speaking. I was included as one of the top 5 speakers in my block by our Public Speaking 2 teacher, so that is a plus. I am also trying to improve more in APC Speaks and, honestly speaking, I am aiming to join the English Speaking Union (ESU) Public Speaking Competition.
Despite my heavy schedule for this week and for the upcoming weeks, it is a reasonable price to pay for my good education and for improvements to myself. I am happy that I got a chance to start over again and not mess up my opportunities. Well, I still have a lot of things to do and I have to prepare for a quiz tomorrow. Seeya.
