Super Dani, The Titanic, and Laurel

As I read the prompt today for English as every great AP English student does I focus so intensely that my eyeballs almost popped out of my head. All right, maybe I caught my self in that incredible unfortunate place where my mind wondered. I never mean to do it, I look up at the clock and I start thinking about time, which leads into thinking about how this week filled quickly with activities. Packed with getting new snowboard bindings, homework, the art project I need to finish, the tournament at Chagrin this weekend, and then Wednesdays. Oh Wednesday, middle of the week Wednesday. Wednesday the day I normally attend Speech practice, but this week I do not have a typical speech practice. Oh no this week I have the opportunity, to go practice at Laurel. Now for those out side of the speech and debate world. I, Dani Boucher, am in Original Oratory. I will not disclose the overly boring details of it except this one, Laurel dominates in this area of Speech and Debate. When I say dominant, I mean it almost never occurs for only one Laurel O.Oer to place. Now if that wasn’t enough to get my panties in a pinch, Clair (an O.Oer (that’s original oratory for the speech and debate impaired) at Laurel, among other things.) informed my that every one and their cousin shall attend the practice on Wednesday simply due to my presence. I don’t scare easily, I have very few fears, I am normal the oh so calm one who comes in, in scary situations and says the oh so calming words “Don’t worry, I am here, I will handle it”(picture cape and dramatic heroic music). This situation though, the Laurel practice with every one and their cousin, scares me though to the point of wanting to crawl back into bed and cuddle with my bear dog (not a typo, it’s a dog from Build a Bear). The Laurel girls only have kind words to say to me, along with incredible accepting spirits, but I find my self scared to death. The reason I know though, I sit in rounds with these girls each weekend and I listen to their speeches. All have an incredible amount of eloquence, their all so poised, and incredible intelligent, and I find my self humbled. I often find myself walking into situations where I have to talk saying oh I can do this; I am the president of speech and debate, as though that should mean something. Then Saturday rolls around and I listen to Megan Zupon talk about the need for thinking in politics with brainwashed Americans, Or Maggie’s pledge for global education for all people, Or Claire’s incredible intelligent thoughts on understanding gender identification. My descriptions of their speeches do no justice to the string of words and emotion and well thought out points of view they all present, and I sit there every single weekend laid flat down on the floor with humility. I find myself questioning the overly cocky nature I explode with at times. I think myself so powerful nothing can ever stop me. Like those who built the Titanic who proclaimed, “God himself could not sink this ship”. My cocky smirk probably resembling the one the above ironic speaker displayed when he spoke the phrase. Although the Titanic inevitable sank due to the fate of one very large iceberg, humbling those humans who dared to test fate. The Laurel girls although not even close to as painful as the iceberg; they serve about the same purpose when I rise far to high upon my horse that I am only human. Although I like the thought of Dani the super hero I have many areas of kryptonite, and thankfully I have friends, even though from different schools, who keep my sometimes overly large ego in check. As for English that ever so loud ticking clock brings back my wondering mind to the task at hand, the easy…. now focus.