Toastmaster Ice Breaker Speech: Where Are You From?

Earlier this year I joined Toastmasters. Public speaking is something I want to get better at - and what better way than joining an organization that gives me (okay, forces me) to practice and improve. 

Toastmasters is structured and organized - just the way I like things. I received new member materials shortly before my first speech was on the docket. The guide brings participants through a series of speeches with different goals, ranging from voice control to use of visual aids to research. Each speech is evaluated by a fellow participant, with additional input from all audience members.

In addition to the ones outlines for each speech, I have a couple of personal goals for my public speaking: get more comfortable with "the room" (don't hide behind a podium!), cut down on "crutch words" (like um and uh), work on my voice (volume, projection, etc.), and learn the value of practice, practice, practice.

A couple of weeks ago, I signed myself up for my first speech: The Ice Breaker. The speech goals were simple - provide a way to introduce yourself to the group, stay within the 4-6 minute timeframe (yes, you are timed) and get a baseline for your speaking abilities.

I drafted the speech below and filed it away on my computer for a couple of days. Speech Day was quickly approaching and I was having a hard time finding time to practice. So I got creative. Each day on my commute to and from work, I'd say the speech aloud 4-5 times per trip. As I did so, I became more comfortable with the way the words rolled off my tongue. I found places where I was likely to trip up - and reworded as necessary. 

At first, I felt ridiculous. I mean, I was giving a speech about myself, to myself - in my car, by myself. Then I started feeling better about the upcoming challenge. I'd found the balance between memorizing and being familiar enough with the content to deliver it without notes or stumbles.

Speech Day rolled around, and I was nervous. I barely heard a word that the speaker before me said. My stomach flip-flopped. I took deep breaths as I was introduced - and took my place in front of the podium.

Here is the speech I delivered (more or less - since I was familiar enough with the content I was able to improvise here and there).

ICEBREAKER SPEECH: Where Are You From? (4-6 minutes)

This speech is about ME. But I am going to start by asking a question about YOU. 

Where are you from??? 

See, you all answered this question so easily. I’m envious.

For me, this question is one of the hardest ones I get – and, unfortunately for me, one of the most frequent that’s asked when you meet someone new. 

So, where am I from?  Let’s see … I’m from Toronto, Canada. And New Brunswick. And Maine – three hours north of Bangor. And Chicago. And New Hampshire – Dover, Rochester, Barrington, Goffstown and Manchester. Now I live in Massachusetts.  

People often ask me whether I'm a military kid. I'm not. I’m what I consider a “corporate kid” – someone whose father worked hard and climbed the corporate ladder, moving his family to chase the next great opportunity.  

As a kid, I hated moving. I hated walking into a new classroom to a roomful of strangers. I hated starting over. I was confused, when as a 10-year-old, my teacher marked my spelling test wrong when I added “u’s” to words like neighbor … and color. 

But looking back, I’m grateful for my experiences. It taught me to adapt. It taught me to be curious about the people and community around me. It taught me to navigate “newness” in all ways. It taught me – in hindsight – to face things that scare you. (It also taught me to negotiate … I convinced my dad for a kitten, a puppy and even a horse as part of various childhood moves!) 

My parents moved to New Hampshire just as I was finishing my freshman year at the University of Illinois. I recall them asking me whether I was going to transfer to UNH. I recall saying – or maybe I just thought it – “No guys, it’s YOU that’s moving this time, not me.”

But when I graduated college … more years ago than I want to admit … I was drawn home. I settled in New Hampshire with my parents. I started my own life and career, moving around a bit, but always sticking close to home. 

Nine years ago, I met a guy with roots deeper than this Corporate Kid could ever understand – the kind who lived in the same house his entire life … the kind who used the same barber that he did in middle school … the kind who probably considered it a “big move” when his parents downsized from their house in Nashua to a neighborhood in Litchfield. 

Five years ago, we got married. Four years ago we bought a house. Three years ago we had our first daughter, Lily, followed by her younger sister, Sadie, a year and a half ago.

I find ourselves talking about the school down the street that our girls will attend. We talk about expensive home improvement projects we want to do. We find ourselves not pursuing job opportunities that would take us away from our aging parents. 

Somehow this Corporate Kid has found herself putting down roots. I know I’m not “from” here. (You native New Englanders are sure to remind me of that!) But it’s as close as I’m probably going to get.