Connect With Storytelling

Storytelling

“Tell me a story! Tell me a story!”

Do you remember how when you were a child, you used to pester someone older, especially your parents and teachers, to tell you stories? Maybe not for this new generation of children because they are already flooded with an abundance of stimulation from the internet, video streaming networks and computer games. During my childhood, television programmes only began at 6:00 p.m. on weekdays. When we were still little, we had not acquired fully the skill to read story books on our own.

Nevertheless, it is still true today that when a speaker tells us a story during his speech rather than just giving us plain cold hard facts, we become more alert and curious. We sit up straight and begin listening more attentively. Storytelling is a powerful tool that is very useful to gain attention and increase empathy, when it is used skilfully and appropriately.

Connect With Storytelling – Yoong Ee Chuan’s Pathway Project

“Connect With Storytelling” is an elective Level 3 project for those toastmasters taking the Motivational Strategies track for Pathways Education in Toastmasters.

In this project, the toastmaster is to use a story within his/her speech to connect with his/her audience. The project addresses storytelling techniques and descriptive skills to help make every speech relatable and interesting.

This is a Prepared Speech Project presented by Yoong Ee Chuan and he shared with us how he needed to maintain his health by using the story of how his 13-year-old car began to breakdown while he was driving her daughter home on a particular rainy day.

Speaker: Yoong Ee Chuan, ACB, CL, MS2

Pathway: Motivational Strategy

Level 3, Project 2: 

Connect With Storytelling

Title: Man And Machine

Date: 16 December 2021

Introduction

Every one of us is either a man or a woman, and every one of us has worked with machines: a car, a computer or maybe some contraption. Now, what does men and machines have in common? Fellow toastmasters, guests and friends, my speech is a story about a man – myself, and a machine – my car. And what I discovered in common between the two.

A Day In A Life

It was a Friday evening, 10 December 2021. A date that will be burned into my brain forever and ever. Driving my rusty 13-year-old Suzuki SX4 Sedan, to fetch my daughter from an outing with her friends at VivoCity, it was 6:30 p.m. After I had picked up my daughter from VivoCity and was trying to drive back home, suddenly something flickered on my dashboard.

When Things Fall Apart

The battery warning light was on. At first, I thought this was just a warning of weak battery, which is not a problem for those of us who are drivers. At the very most, even if you reach home and park the car, if you can’t start the car the next day, you simply ask the workshop or the person from the Automobile Association to come down and change your battery.

But as I was approaching near home, another warning light came on. This time it was the ABS or the Anti-Skid Braking System. Then, another warning light started to flash, and this involved the steering wheel light, which I did not know what the warning was about. In my mind, I was starting to panic.

What was happening? Then I started to find the car steering becoming heavier and heavier. It became less responsive as my arms grew weaker because the steering wheel seems to be weigh a tonne.

And as it was raining on that day, the windshield wiper was on, but now it started to slow down.

My Eureka Moment

I could hardly see the road because the rain was so heavy. And to kick it all off, the air conditioning stopped totally. What’s happening with all these warning signs? I realised. Hey! They all have to do with electricity. And that started with the battery. Because all these parts were related to the electrical supply and after driving for five minutes, I suddenly found that even as I stepped on the accelerator, the car did not respond.

Fortunately, I managed to steer to the nearby bus-stop so at least I would not have the car breakdown in the middle of the road. And there I was for the first time in my 13 years of driving this Suzuki SX4 Sedan, I stopped along Block 343 bus stop at Clementi Road.

Eventually I managed to call a tow truck and towed my car to the workshop. The workshop later called me.

They told me that the alternator, which was the device that generates electricity while the car is running, was spoilt and they had to change it.

Men Are Similar To Machines

Now why am I sharing this story about the breakdown of the car with you. Just like how machines can breakdown due to wear and tear. So can we, man, and woman. We too are like machines.

Our hearts are the engine of our bodies. Our blood vessels are the wiring that connects our heart to every part of our body. Even if our heart is strong, but if the blood vessels are put under uncontrollably high pressure, it will slowly break up.

Maintaining My Health And Body

I recently started medication to control my blood pressure, after I had gone through a medical screening which showed that I had signs of hypertension or high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a silent killer. You may not have any visible symptoms, but untreated, high blood pressure will increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, aneurysm, heart failure and organ failure.

Just as we need to maintain machines such as cars with regular servicing, we need to maintain our health by screening for the risk of chronic diseases like high blood pressure. high cholesterol and diabetes.

Conclusion

I’m happy to report today that my car has been repaired and it is in great working condition. My health, due to the control of my blood pressure with medication, is also getting better with regular exercise.

In conclusion, I like to share that man and machine, do have something in common. Both need to be maintained for the long-term longevity so that they can be maximised, or we can maximise our long term usefulness.

Back to you Toastmaster of the Evening.