First Speech for SP 251

“Everybody’s normal till you get to know them” – John Ortberg

Even after a short conversation with someone, you can say something about that person like “Oh he’s a really nice person to talk to” or “She’s not that talkative.”  People tend to have their own opinion about others after the first conversation so then that person isn’t labeled as “normal” anymore. I think that everyone is normal until I either talk or hang out with them. 

You can’t really call anyone “normal” after talking with them.  Because really, in my opinion there’s no real definition for normal.  It’s just like how you call your friends weird or funny.  I don’t even call myself normal, heck even my friends at work call me weird.  I tell them that I like turtles and hedgehogs.  And they say that I’m a strange cause girls’ my age like cute dogs and cats.

You can tell a lot of things about a person from just a short conversation.  Like do they have an accent?  If so what kind?  Does the person like to crack jokes often?  Or are they straight up serious?  So really first impressions only last until you get to know the person better.

The first impression people usually get of me is that I’m quiet.  But when I asked one of my friends what she thought of me when we first met, she said that I’m a dork.  I don’t know how I’m a dork but its okay, better being a dork than a nerd in my opinion.

Encountering people is another thing too.  Say that you didn’t meet your best friend, how would that change you? Would you be the person who you are today?  I know for a fact that my friends really helped me develop part of my personality.  I would have been a totally different person if I didn’t meet them.  It was either fate or sheer dumb luck on how I met some of my friends too.  But it really just starts off with a simple conversation to meet someone. 

Two weeks ago I went to go buy a watch.  The sales girl came up and started a conversation with me.  The first thing she said to me was “Konnichiwa”, and I just looked at her and said “Dude, I speak English.  Plus I’m Chinese.”  Not that I’m angry with her or anything but I found the situation at hand pretty funny.  Later I also found out that she did it to a Korean lady too.

Last week I met someone who had a lot in common with me.  Like how we both lived in Waipahu and went to the same elementary school.  It’s like near impossible for me to meet with someone who went to the same elementary school as me.  And we also like the same type of music.

What people say can also affect you. Words are a very powerful tool.  It can put imprints on people.  Words that make you happy each time you think or read them.  Or the words that hurt you deep down.  And then there’s the words that turn out to be an inside joke at the end.

I know this for a fact because my friend asked me “Can you help me move the fridge?  It’s only going to take five minutes.”  I learned that moving the fridge does not take five minutes but an hour.  We had to get it up the elevated ramp, and then we found out that it doesn’t fit through the door.  So we had to take down one of the doors, and it still didn’t fit till we angled it.  The door was scratch and the window cracked in the process.  Then we had to put everything back together.  In the end I called my friend a liar and made sure that he didn’t say “Oh it’s only going to take five minutes” when he asked me again to help move the other fridge.

You know the saying “Sticks and stones break my bones.  But words can never hurt me”?  Well that saying is a lie!  Seriously, whoever started that saying is a liar.  Should be sent to prison for that because words do hurt.  And you can’t take it back after you say them too.

I know this speech started off that everyone is normal and strayed off to how powerful first impressions and words are.  And it’s ironic to because this one the first impression that you guys are getting from me.   So hopefully I didn’t leave a bad impression.