Wednesday, June 3, 2009

speeches


i've been invited to speak before specific audiences in the past. the shortest speech i have given is reproduced above. the longest will be published later on. it's currently missing in my files but it's about gender sensitivity which i delivered on women's day celeb in march 07. below is the complete text of my shortest speech:

Sister Directress, Mrs. Bondad, fellow teachers, parents and students, good afternoon.

I just saw a 1994 Warner Bros. film entitled 'With Honors'. It is a story of four roommates in a Harvard University dorm, one of whom is so motivated with honors and so, he prepared a lot for it. But luck was not with him because he lost his only copy of his thesis to a man, an ex-sailor, a bum who promised to return each page only if each of his demands is met. And there were 80 pages in all. In his association with this man who had nothing at all, no money, no home, no family, no friends, he slowly but painstakingly learned the lessons that anyone can only learn by heart- like caring for others, like seeking and finding what is beautiful in all people and in all things, like filling the hearts with love and warmth and compassion. In the end, Harvard, as he was called by Joe Pesci's character in the film, did not even get a cum laude, but he has found joy in living and peace within himself.

Was he a success? Yes, he was. In many ways he was. An honor's card is not an end. It is a means to an end. In its absence, a person may still be successful, but of course, when it is on hand, nothing should go wrong. You may strive to bind an album of honor's cards or collect a handful of medals. That's fine. But then, never forget the lessons learned by Harvard, the lessons taught by the heart because only then, can you truly deserve to be conferred the title- With Honors.

My warmest congratulations to all of you!

Thank you very much and good day.


Mrs. Rosalina F. Inocencio
- on the occasion of the
distribution of honor's
cards, Nov. 14, 1996, 4:00 pm
SJB Auditorium





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