After the first attempt at debate where I went in blind and confused
I figured out what to do and when we got our next topic I wrote my
own case. Cases would be more like it because you have to write an
affirmative and negative case for each topic. With my newly minted
brief in hand I went into my second debate with much more confidence.
I knew all of the procedures and the slang so there would be no more
having to ask the judges what exactly was supposed to say when I was
asked something. During a debate competition there are also what are
called speech events which include impromptu, extemporaneous and
prepared speech competitions that run alternately with debate rounds
so we were encouraged to try our hand at some of those at well. My
natural hubris whispered in my ear that I would me amazing at any and
all speech events. My hubris thought that was pretty funny after I
crashed and burned. As it happens I was much better at debate,
getting second place at my second tournament and in this one they
only had the top one person get first place unlike the novice
tournament where everyone won something. After the tournament they
hand back all of your judges notes that they wrote during you
presentations. I quickly discarded the positive reviews because those
people were obviously already pretty smart and didn't need my
scrutiny. The negative notes were almost always were in reference to
me thinking I was funnier than I was and thinking I was smarter than
I was. I got my feel-bads deeply hurt. I thought I was rolling there
with some pretty funny jokes and the whole time I was crashing into
the pits of comedy hell being consumed by my own lame antics that
were evidently flammable for the sake of this now very convoluted
sentence and metaphor. I went through all of the stages of grief,
denial ( they wouldn't know funny if it jumped out of a drawer and
bit them), anger ( I hope they get bit by vicious snakes somewhere in
their home), bargaining ( how much for that sack of vipers you have
there, my good man?), depression ( oh, great, they are non-venomous
snakes, okay, figures, with my luck.) and acceptance ( I guess I will
just have to hope they can feel how much I hate them.). I didn't take
their advice and tone down my style so for the next ten tournaments I never did better than
third in any speech event while I consistently got first or second in
debate.
