The Speech I Could Not Finish

It was probably the most embarrassing moment of my life.

My Toastmasters club nominated me to represent them in a national humorous speech contest.

I had rehearsed my speech countless times.

Standing before a sea of people, I felt confident.

Then, midway through my speech, my mind went blank.

I forgot my lines and stepped down from the stage.

The organizers kindly gave me a second chance after the last contestant.

Again, I forgot my lines.

Again, I walked off the stage in shame.

I wanted to disappear.

In fact, that was the last time many of them saw me, as I stopped attending Toastmasters for a while.

Although more than a decade has passed, I can still remember that night clearly.

Yet life moved on.

People forgot.

The embarrassing moments we never forget are often the ones everyone else has already forgotten. One bad day on stage does not define a lifetime.