Table Topics, Dissected

Tomorrow I'm participating in the next level of competition for Table Topics for Toastmasters.  I won the first contest a few weeks ago at the club level, and now I'm going up against other club winners.  The winner of tomorrow's contest goes on to the next level.  Divison or area.  I can't remember. 

So, what is table topics exactly? At our weekly meetings, we have a portion of the agenda devoted to Table Topics.  One person is in charge of coming up with the topics and then each member has to stand up and give a 1-2 minute speech on whatever topic they are assigned. Without any preparation. Some topics are a lot harder to do than others.  For example, 1-2 minutes on how President Harrison died. 

Huh?  Who?

Exactly.

And to make things more fun, we have a word of the day that has to be interwoven into the speech somehow.  Which isn't hard if the word is something like impasse, but is a little harder when the word is something like rhubarb.

The key to successful impromptu speaking is, in theory, to have some stock stories to share that can be twisted to fit the theme you're asked to speak on.  In reality, most of your stories can't be twisted to fit the theme.  So you just have to wing it. 

For the contests, the topics tend to be a little more generalized. They don't tread on to controversial topics like the Miss America Pagent does.  Or at least that's the hope I'm banking on. And you don't have to try fit some random word in there, though that's where the really funny stuff comes out.  The topic I had at the club level was "who has been the most influential person in your life?"

Which didn't exactly fit any of the stories I had in my head.  But the Impromptu Speaking Gods were smiling down on me and I spoke on one of the most influential math teachers I had in Jr High. 

And won.  Obviously.

So here's hoping to some Impromptu Speaking Gods juju for tomorrow.

And a good topic on triathlons, running, or crossword puzzles.  I think I could pretty much nail it then.