During the next few days, Kitty alternated most of her free time between
watching coverage of the war on TV, listening to call-in radio shows, and
reading numerous newspaper articles. During this time, she discovered a lot
of very interesting and disturbing information, which she incorporated into
the growing body of her speech.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Kitty sat in her social studies class, gazing anxiously up at the clock. She was nervous about meeting with Paul for the first time since the riot. He had impressed upon her the need to have her material fully prepared, and she had spent much time over the days developing the speech she was planning to give. She was confident in what she had prepared, but she wasn't quite sure she'd be able to turn herself into a professional speaker by the end of the week.
Finally, the bell rang, and Kitty hurried out the door of the classroom and walked outside of the school. She saw Paul waiting for her in the parking lot, standing next to a bike.
"Hi!" he greeted her.
"Hey Paul!" Kitty replied, trying not to let the anxiousness in her voice show. It didn't quite work.
"Not nervous, are you?" he asked.
"Well, a little. It's the first time I've read this speech to somebody else," Kitty said, pulling a folder out of her backpack.
"Hey, don't worry about it," said Paul. "We've still got plenty of time to get you ready. Why don't we go into the library, I'll take a listen, and we'll go from there?"
"Sounds good," said Kitty, and they walked back into the school. Inside the library, Paul sat down on a chair as Kitty pulled out her speech. She cleared her throat, and began to speak as Paul listened raptly.
X
About 10 minutes later, Kitty concluded her speech. "So like, what did you think?" she asked.
Paul leaned forward. "You made some excellent points, Kitty. I really liked the bit where you talk about how this war agenda has been in development for many years. But there's a problem that's really holding you back right now,"
"What's that?" Kitty asked.
"Well, I don't mean any offense by this," Paul cautioned. "But there are times when you tend to sound like, well, like a valley girl,"
Kitty rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I know!" she groaned. "It seems like that always happens when I get nervous or excited. It just slips out, ya know what I mean? Argh, there it goes again!" she said angrily.
"Kitty, relax," said Paul. "What you're experiencing is perfectly normal anxiety that's manifesting itself in your inflections,"
"My what?" asked Kitty, sounding confused.
"The way you talk, the kind of mannerisms you use, that sort of thing," said Paul.
"So how can I stop feeling so excited all the time?" asked Kitty.
"I noticed during your speech that your pace sped up a lot when you got excited, and that your breathing got really shallow," said Paul. "I'm going to show you how to correct that,"
"So you mean I won't sound like such a ditz all the time?" asked Kitty.
"You said it, not me," Paul said. Kitty gave him a grin in return.
X
"So what do I have to do?" she asked.
"Speaking is a lot like playing a musical instrument," Paul said. "You need a great deal of air to do both. When you use the right amount and the right kind of air, you'll find that most of your speaking problems will correct themselves,"
"That's kinda strange," said Kitty. "I always thought air was just air,"
"Well it is," said Paul. "It's all a matter of how you use it. Now, can you sing?"
"Yeah, a little,"
"Ok, I want you to relax and take a deep breath and then a middle C for me,"
Kitty did so. The note came out sounding thin and faint.
"Aha. I thought so," Paul said as he watched her. "You're not breathing right,"
Kitty gave him a funny look.
"When you took that breath, did you notice how your shoulders lifted up to your ears?"
"Yeah,"
"That's the problem. You're not taking in as much air as you're capable of, because you're only breathing from the top part of your lungs. Watch this," he said, and took a deep breath. As he did so, his shoulders stayed flat and level while his whole belly expanded and pushed out until he looked like he was a few months pregnant. Kitty laughed a little at the sight.
"I know it looks a little silly, but this is the right way to breathe," Paul said. He walked around behind Kitty and placed his hands on your shoulders. "Try it again, and this time, keep your shoulders relaxed and fill your lungs from the bottom up,"
Kitty breathed in, feeling the odd sensation of her belly push outwards, and sang. She was immediately taken aback by how much louder her voice seemed.
"That's it," said Paul encouragingly. "You've just discovered the first secret to becoming a better speaker,"
X
Over the next half hour, Paul taught Kitty several kinds of breathing exercises she could do to improve her projection and volume. Then he taught her some good pacing techniques to control her rhythm and tempo while she was speaking and gave her some mental suggestions to help her stay focused during her speech. At the end of this, Kitty read her speech again. Not only did she sound cleaner, crisper, and louder, she also managed to finish in a shorter period of time without changing a single word.
"Wow!" she said when she got done. "I sounded like a totally different person!"
"You're going to do just fine this weekend, Kitty," Paul said. "Now, why don't we look at some of your specific points and see if we can make some things a little tighter,"
They spent the next hour making revisions to the speech. By the time they were finished, they were sure that Kitty would be able to convince the public audience just how bad the war really was.
X
Kitty bid farewell to Paul outside the school and caught a bus that would take her close enough to the Institute that she could walk the rest of the way back. On the way, she overheard a few passengers talking about the war. Their comments mostly reflected a common desire to see the war brought to a quick end and bring down the dictator's regime. Kitty moved closer and interrupted at a pause in the conversation.
"Excuse me," she said. "I couldn't help overhearing you talking about the war,"
One of the passengers looked at her. "Oh, yeah. I was just trying to convince this guy that this war isn't worth the risks, but he really isn't listening to me,"
"And why should I?" asked the other passenger gruffly. "What's the point in waiting around for them to attack us when we can get rid of them and be done with it?"
"Because that's not the way America's supposed to do things!" protested the first passenger.
"I got news for you, buddy. This is a new America. Get used to it," retorted the second.
"Why do you think this is a new America?" Kitty asked him.
"Face it, kid, the America we all knew died on September 11th. If seeing those towers come crashing down didn't tell you just how much some people in the world have it in for us, nothing will," he said, and stood up and moved to another seat.
The first passenger gave an exasperated sight. "Hearing stuff like that makes me sick," he said. "People like him can't see how they've gotten so many other people around the world angry with us for everything they're trying to do. They're so blind that they can't see that their policies are creating the very threats they're supposed to be preventing!"
Kitty said nothing, considering the man's point. "Hmm, maybe I can work that into my speech," she said.
"You're givin' a speech, huh?" the man asked, looking at her. His eyes grew in recognition. "Hey, you're that Pryde girl they had on the news a few days ago, aren't you?"
"Yeah, that's me," said Kitty.
"Well, good luck to you. Believe me, you're gonna need it. I know this Henderson guy that the Bayville Patriots have speaking for them. He makes our friend over their look like Mahatma Gandhi in comparison,"
"Is he really that bad?" Kitty asked nervously.
"You're gonna have your hands full with him, that's for sure," the man said. "Especially if he starts coming after you. I don't think I've ever seen anybody get the better of this guy in a debate. But hey, I don't mean to scare you. I'm sure you'll do just fine,"
Kitty swallowed hard, the familiar feelings of self-doubt beginning to return. "I hope so too. I think there's a lot counting on this," she said.
"You got that right," the man replied. "Believe me, this war we're in now is just the beginning. If somebody doesn't stop it now, it may never end,"
Kitty felt the bus slow as it pulled up to a corner. 'Um, this is my stop. Thanks for your advice," she said.
"Sure thing," the man said.
Kitty got off the bus and stood by herself outside the gate of the Institute, suddenly feeling very small and very powerless.
X
Late Tuesday afternoon, Kitty sat in her social studies class, gazing anxiously up at the clock. She was nervous about meeting with Paul for the first time since the riot. He had impressed upon her the need to have her material fully prepared, and she had spent much time over the days developing the speech she was planning to give. She was confident in what she had prepared, but she wasn't quite sure she'd be able to turn herself into a professional speaker by the end of the week.
Finally, the bell rang, and Kitty hurried out the door of the classroom and walked outside of the school. She saw Paul waiting for her in the parking lot, standing next to a bike.
"Hi!" he greeted her.
"Hey Paul!" Kitty replied, trying not to let the anxiousness in her voice show. It didn't quite work.
"Not nervous, are you?" he asked.
"Well, a little. It's the first time I've read this speech to somebody else," Kitty said, pulling a folder out of her backpack.
"Hey, don't worry about it," said Paul. "We've still got plenty of time to get you ready. Why don't we go into the library, I'll take a listen, and we'll go from there?"
"Sounds good," said Kitty, and they walked back into the school. Inside the library, Paul sat down on a chair as Kitty pulled out her speech. She cleared her throat, and began to speak as Paul listened raptly.
X
About 10 minutes later, Kitty concluded her speech. "So like, what did you think?" she asked.
Paul leaned forward. "You made some excellent points, Kitty. I really liked the bit where you talk about how this war agenda has been in development for many years. But there's a problem that's really holding you back right now,"
"What's that?" Kitty asked.
"Well, I don't mean any offense by this," Paul cautioned. "But there are times when you tend to sound like, well, like a valley girl,"
Kitty rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I know!" she groaned. "It seems like that always happens when I get nervous or excited. It just slips out, ya know what I mean? Argh, there it goes again!" she said angrily.
"Kitty, relax," said Paul. "What you're experiencing is perfectly normal anxiety that's manifesting itself in your inflections,"
"My what?" asked Kitty, sounding confused.
"The way you talk, the kind of mannerisms you use, that sort of thing," said Paul.
"So how can I stop feeling so excited all the time?" asked Kitty.
"I noticed during your speech that your pace sped up a lot when you got excited, and that your breathing got really shallow," said Paul. "I'm going to show you how to correct that,"
"So you mean I won't sound like such a ditz all the time?" asked Kitty.
"You said it, not me," Paul said. Kitty gave him a grin in return.
X
"So what do I have to do?" she asked.
"Speaking is a lot like playing a musical instrument," Paul said. "You need a great deal of air to do both. When you use the right amount and the right kind of air, you'll find that most of your speaking problems will correct themselves,"
"That's kinda strange," said Kitty. "I always thought air was just air,"
"Well it is," said Paul. "It's all a matter of how you use it. Now, can you sing?"
"Yeah, a little,"
"Ok, I want you to relax and take a deep breath and then a middle C for me,"
Kitty did so. The note came out sounding thin and faint.
"Aha. I thought so," Paul said as he watched her. "You're not breathing right,"
Kitty gave him a funny look.
"When you took that breath, did you notice how your shoulders lifted up to your ears?"
"Yeah,"
"That's the problem. You're not taking in as much air as you're capable of, because you're only breathing from the top part of your lungs. Watch this," he said, and took a deep breath. As he did so, his shoulders stayed flat and level while his whole belly expanded and pushed out until he looked like he was a few months pregnant. Kitty laughed a little at the sight.
"I know it looks a little silly, but this is the right way to breathe," Paul said. He walked around behind Kitty and placed his hands on your shoulders. "Try it again, and this time, keep your shoulders relaxed and fill your lungs from the bottom up,"
Kitty breathed in, feeling the odd sensation of her belly push outwards, and sang. She was immediately taken aback by how much louder her voice seemed.
"That's it," said Paul encouragingly. "You've just discovered the first secret to becoming a better speaker,"
X
Over the next half hour, Paul taught Kitty several kinds of breathing exercises she could do to improve her projection and volume. Then he taught her some good pacing techniques to control her rhythm and tempo while she was speaking and gave her some mental suggestions to help her stay focused during her speech. At the end of this, Kitty read her speech again. Not only did she sound cleaner, crisper, and louder, she also managed to finish in a shorter period of time without changing a single word.
"Wow!" she said when she got done. "I sounded like a totally different person!"
"You're going to do just fine this weekend, Kitty," Paul said. "Now, why don't we look at some of your specific points and see if we can make some things a little tighter,"
They spent the next hour making revisions to the speech. By the time they were finished, they were sure that Kitty would be able to convince the public audience just how bad the war really was.
X
Kitty bid farewell to Paul outside the school and caught a bus that would take her close enough to the Institute that she could walk the rest of the way back. On the way, she overheard a few passengers talking about the war. Their comments mostly reflected a common desire to see the war brought to a quick end and bring down the dictator's regime. Kitty moved closer and interrupted at a pause in the conversation.
"Excuse me," she said. "I couldn't help overhearing you talking about the war,"
One of the passengers looked at her. "Oh, yeah. I was just trying to convince this guy that this war isn't worth the risks, but he really isn't listening to me,"
"And why should I?" asked the other passenger gruffly. "What's the point in waiting around for them to attack us when we can get rid of them and be done with it?"
"Because that's not the way America's supposed to do things!" protested the first passenger.
"I got news for you, buddy. This is a new America. Get used to it," retorted the second.
"Why do you think this is a new America?" Kitty asked him.
"Face it, kid, the America we all knew died on September 11th. If seeing those towers come crashing down didn't tell you just how much some people in the world have it in for us, nothing will," he said, and stood up and moved to another seat.
The first passenger gave an exasperated sight. "Hearing stuff like that makes me sick," he said. "People like him can't see how they've gotten so many other people around the world angry with us for everything they're trying to do. They're so blind that they can't see that their policies are creating the very threats they're supposed to be preventing!"
Kitty said nothing, considering the man's point. "Hmm, maybe I can work that into my speech," she said.
"You're givin' a speech, huh?" the man asked, looking at her. His eyes grew in recognition. "Hey, you're that Pryde girl they had on the news a few days ago, aren't you?"
"Yeah, that's me," said Kitty.
"Well, good luck to you. Believe me, you're gonna need it. I know this Henderson guy that the Bayville Patriots have speaking for them. He makes our friend over their look like Mahatma Gandhi in comparison,"
"Is he really that bad?" Kitty asked nervously.
"You're gonna have your hands full with him, that's for sure," the man said. "Especially if he starts coming after you. I don't think I've ever seen anybody get the better of this guy in a debate. But hey, I don't mean to scare you. I'm sure you'll do just fine,"
Kitty swallowed hard, the familiar feelings of self-doubt beginning to return. "I hope so too. I think there's a lot counting on this," she said.
"You got that right," the man replied. "Believe me, this war we're in now is just the beginning. If somebody doesn't stop it now, it may never end,"
Kitty felt the bus slow as it pulled up to a corner. 'Um, this is my stop. Thanks for your advice," she said.
"Sure thing," the man said.
Kitty got off the bus and stood by herself outside the gate of the Institute, suddenly feeling very small and very powerless.
X