It took me six years to become a public speaker and much longer to become a speech-writer.

Like most people I rarely had occasion to speak in public. Occasionally, when I was at school meetings I would have liked to have asked a question but was too shy. I hated myself for that but, usually, someone else asked the question anyhow. When I was asked to give a report on some parish work I had done I didn’t really consider it as public speaking. I had enjoyed the work and I knew everyone in the room for years. Yet when I stood up my confidence vanished. I stuttered and stammered. My hands shook so much I dropped my notes and to my huge embarrassment, I started to cry. My friends were very nice and understanding but I swore that would never happen to me again. I would, however long it took, become a public speaker.

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