I’m a fast talker. I didn’t realize this until my husband took a video of one of our conversations. I can honestly say that even I had a hard time understanding what I was saying when he played it back for me to see. Why has nobody told me?! To be fair, the video was taken after I finished a really fun exercise class at the YMCA (#groupfight) and I was super pumped with endorphins and ready to kick some imaginary thug’s arse.
I digress. This revelation got me thinking about the times that I’ve spoken in front of a group and I’m really panicking now. Have I been speaking like an auctioneer all this time? Last week I had the opportunity to speak in front of about 80 students (AND some of my former professors and now colleagues…. ACK!) at the ODU chapter of the national student association for my profession (NSSLHA).

I was invited to speak on the topic of beginning my own private practice (which I know barely anything about) as well as therapy for children with Autism (which I know a little bit about). I was STOKED! I could speak for days and days to anyone who will listen (and I often do, whether they ask me to or not) on therapy for children with Autism. However, I’m fairly certain my lecture was the least interesting thing those students heard all day and was fed to them at a breakneck, rapid-fire rate. I’m so passionate about the topic and discussing new research in the field makes my heart pitter-patter with excitement, but I forgot that not everyone feels that way and I SO wish I could go back and tone things down a bit. You guys over at ODU, don’t hate me! I swear there are better parts of being a speech therapist than what I showed you and I so wish I’d shown you more useful therapy tips! I was stressed and my mind imploded when trying to create those slides and you’ll just have to forgive me for whatever word-vomit you endured that day.
I kid you not, I have given that presentation over and over in my dreams every night since….. it’s now perfect and so full of completely relatable points and truly useful information. I wish you were there to see it. I speak slowly. I don’t go off on tangents with useless information. And I don’t say ‘like, like, like’.
I was gifted with a mug after speaking, so that’s something.   #likeaboss