That Amazing Moment When Something You Really, Really Wanted to Happen But Didn't Expect to Happen Actually Happens

Before we get into today's debate round I'd like to offer the following  story that happened at NITOC:

It was Wednesday, I think. It was also lunch time. Or dinner time. Either way, we were eating at a table. And by we, I mean my friends. And by my friends I mean Anna Little, her triplet sister Emma, their friend Taylor,  my friend Emily, my friend Austin, and some other people. The following took place:

Anna: We should watch the Doctor Who season finale sometime this week.

Me: YESOMIGOSHWESHOULD.

Anna: YESOFCOURSETHATSWHYISAIDITDUH.

Austin: Unfortunately, we don't have a room past Saturday. I'll have to find someone else to sleep with.

Everyone else: WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!?

Austin: I mean bunker down with!

Anna: That's even worse!!!

Austin: I MEAN IN A ROOM WITH ALL BOYS AND NO GIRLS!

Everyone else: . . . . . . . .

Austin: I AM NOT GAY!

...later...

Someone: I can tell what colour personality people are.

Austin: AM I A RAINBOW?

Emily: *Quietly* I thought you said you weren't gay.

Moving on with the point of this post: Part two in the 'That Amazing Moment When' series: When something you really, really wanted to happen but didn't expect to actually happens.

Like I've said, I used to hate impromptu, and was therefore forced against my will to give impromptu speeches. I've told this story before. However, I would like to go into more detail.

Lalala, let's just skip impromptu Friday's because I've told you about that before. So let's go to the first club meeting. Mrs. Martin was telling us about impromptu because she is the impromptu queen.

Mrs. Martin: The key to giving good/five minute impromptu speeches is using examples. For example: One time I was in a debate round. It was my son and his debate partner. I was sitting behind this totally adorable, insanely cute timer. Now this poor timer was bored. I mean, it was a debate round and those things are long. But the Timer didn't want to bother the competitors or the judge by drawing because drawing makes a lot of noise. So the Timer must find some way to amuse herself without doing so. And guess what! There's a lovely, exceptionally large bottle of hand-sanitizer on the table. And so the Timer *makes exaggerated motion to show the Timer pumping the hand-sanitizer* gets some hand-sanitizer on her hands. But of course, it would evaporate so she would have to get more hand-sanitizer to amuse herself. But, as we all know, hand-sanitizer has a little thing called alcohol in it. And alcohol smells bad. And it bothers judges noses. So, during prep time, the judge and her bothered nose grabs the bottle of hand-sanitizer and puts it on the other side of the table. I am trying not to laugh because the Timer is trying not to cry.

People at club listening to this story: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THAT IS THE BEST THING EVERY MRS. MARTIN!

Me: *Trying not to cry because I am so dang embarrassed because that 'timer' was me and that was super embarrassing and I really was trying not to cry but I'm also laughing at the same time because I am trying to laugh at myself in a good way because Mrs. Martin always tells me to do that and if I start crying she'll probably make me even more embarrassed and also that story is pretty funny especially the way she tells it.*

That story really isn't that relevant to this story. But it kind is. But not really. So I knew that weather or not I wanted to, I would be doing impromptu at my first tournament because Mrs. Martin would make me. As in, she would hack my registration and sign me up for impromptu. So I did impromptu. And I gave a speech about how good examples are the best sermons. And I told the hand-sanitizer story and how Mrs. Martin used it to get our attention. So that's why I put that story at the beginning of the post. Yep, that's totally why. And now for any other reasons at all. *coughcoughkalebcoughcough* It was a relatively okay speech, I guess. The next round my topic was *drumroll* "Classic Books - Tom Sawyer, The Red Badge of Courage, Don Quixote." I think that's how that's spelled. I sure couldn't pronounce it. In fact, the judge corrected my pronunciation. So at first I said something. I'm not sure what it was. Then I rambled on and on and on about how the morals of today's books are always boyfriends/girlfriends, and how much better classic books are sooooooooooo much better. I don't actually believe that entirely, but I pretended like I did.

I don't think my judge was convinced, because he ranked me 5th and Below. So did the judge from my first round. So both of my judges obviously were biased. Or crazy. Or uneducated. So. The next tournament. I didn't do any work at all. I didn't do a lick of work on impromptu and barely any on persuasive. And, like I said before, no work doesn't pay  off, except in fifth and below ballots. And that's what I got.

Actually, I got an eighth. An eighth. You see, they circled 5th and below. And then wrote eighth. THERE IS A REASON IT ONLY SAYS '5th and below' ON THE BALLOT! I was just like, 'you're a terrible person!' In a really high, kind of raspy voice. I was not happy with that person. On my other two ballots I got fourths. Which actually isn't that bad. The highest rank I'd ever gotten in impromptu up to that point. But I wasn't discouraged! Okay, yes I was. I was very discouraged. I wasn't really proud of any of my speeches. In fact, I kind of hated all of them. But then at the next tournament something amazing happened!

"I don't know. Something amazing, I guess..."

I gave an impromptu speech I actually liked! It was about a little thing I like to call 'books.' And I love books. So I ranted for five minutes about how amazing books are and it was amazing(ish)! Well, it was the best impromptu speech I'd ever given. So then I kind of actually maybe even liked impromptu.

AND THEN SOMETHING AMAZING HAPPENED AGAIN! I got that sparkly green check-mark I mentioned before. I mean, they actually gave out these tangible foam things that were check marks and were covered in glitter and sparkles and it was amazing! And I got one for persuasive too! And that tournament was a lot of fun besides that. I got to see my friends, I got to talk to my friends, I got to hang out with my friends, I got to watch my friends' speeches, blahblahblah friends, friends, friends.

BUT THEN SOMETHING EVEN MORE AMAZING HAPPENED! I broke. I broke I broke I broke I broke I broke I broke I broke I broke I broke! To semi-finals. SEMIS! SEMIS! And then I broke to FINALS! FINALS! And technically, I got last in finals. BUT I BEAT THE OTHER 80 IMPROMPTUERS! So ha. Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha. Ha.

And so then I was qualified for NITOC/Nationals in both persuasive and impromptu. And nothing else is really important. And I'll write about it later, because this post is getting long. So the end.

Vote affirmative, and you may get a check mark.