New Berlin 2015
I got to meet some of your 8th graders at Rochester a few weeks ago. . .cool kids. So I came to New Berlin to see if the rest of you were like that.
Beginning a speech: Bummy
Today I’ll tell you some stories about people just like you…and you’ll help me tell some stories.
I taught 7th and 8th graders for 35 years. . .so I sort of know you guys and girls.
Have you ever gone to a family reunion and people asking you.. . “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Do you get tired of answering the question when sometimes you just don’t know? This morning I’ll give you an answer that always works. .
Let me get to know you. . now be honest. . Who used to take one big step. . . Who hurries up the stairs so nothing will get you? Inside of Oreo first. How many of you are actors? Wanna bet? You are so wrong!
How many of you act differently at school than you do at home? How many of you act one way around your friends and another way around your parents?
It is SO HARD to just be you. Why? We’re afraid that if people knew what we were really like they wouldn’t like us.
Let me give you a test…two fingers…. Who you really are. . . Who you pretend to be. The closer, the happier.
So when people ask you what you want to be when you grow up just them them. . “I want to be me!”
Let me tell you some stories about people who decided to stop pretending to be someone else. . . .Who decided to just be themselves.
Jeff and Greg…7th graders… not much money. . .both little, not great at sports. . .but knew they wanted to go to college…Started saving money. . Ham-A-Gram Company (explain). . . both saved enough to go to college…now: Greg is a banker in Springfield and Jeff owns his own bread company. Unusual request. . . “Come play for my Grandma’s 100th birthday.” What’s she like? “I don’t know…she’s like. . old.” Tell us something about her! Well . . she’s short. 5’ 2”
Roll out the Barrel. Young boy in Chech…. Hitler ordered all young men your age to join the Nazi army. . .All his friends were becoming Nazi soldiers. . .it was “cool” to become a Nazi soldier. he and his family escaped. . .he refused to fight for the Germans. . .became a song writer. Now his song is played at every Green Bay Packers football game.
Boy from Illinois. . .growing up his Mom noticed that he had a really tender heart for other people when they were sad. Became a tremendous athlete..made all-state in Illinois as a football player, in basketball he won the area slam-dunk championship, his high school’s best pitcher so…recruited to play baseball in college.. But he liked theatre.. . went to college on a theatre scholarship….writes music and his first musical will be coming out this winter. . . But the cool thing. . .he has a huge heart for those who aren’t so fortunate… His cousin… a child with Down Syndrome…his best buddy. Would take his hand every morning and walk him to the bus stop, then ride to school with him. In college he joined a program where he buddied up with another boy with learning problems… When he was a senior in high school he was the one who spoke to the freshmen in the hallways and made them feel special. Lots of people asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. . .he’s about to graduate from college and they’re still asking him. His answer? I’m gonna be me. And he’s here today. .John Love
Robert E. Lee …John Stauffer. . . .always wanted to be a riverboat captain. Robert E. Lee, Natchez.
A lady who was a slave..named Araminta…Her owner came to their house one day to sell off her brother. Mother hid him. Said, “Whoever tries to take my son, I will split his head open.” Became a “house girl,” in charge of the baby. Whenever the baby cried she was whipped. She said, “One day I was whipped five times before breakfast.” Once asked to help catch a runaway slave…she refused..Master threw a two-pound piece of metal at her…cracked her head open…seizures the rest of her life. Became a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Married a man named Tubman and changed her name to Harriet. Harriet Tubman. Ripley Ohio. Swing Low … (switch positions)
Let’s see if you can loosen up, act a little crazy and be yourself.
Improv: 3 noses
Statue.. Washington, The Civil War, Superbowl kickoff, Sangmon Co.. Queen contest, lunch line at New Berlin, What’s really going on inside _________’s brain. Changing Channels Animal Planet, Weather, Soap Opera, Children’s show, Old Time Westerns, History Channel, Home Shopping Network, Vacation pictures The Brain Move Me Scene 3 ways Death by. . . 3-headed Broadway star…sing to a girl from the audience 3 rooms Hitchhiker Elevator Darned Whistle Freeze Tag Dating Game Toss Me My Word
…When you get dressed in the morning, don’t worry about what other people think. Dress for you. ....go barefoot more often ..eat nothing but ice cream for a whole day. …McDonald’s . . “Have a nice day.” ...wear underwear backwards...will break into uncontrollable giggles for no reason every time you think about it. ....walk up to biggest grouch in your school and say “I just want you to know that I feel great!” It’ll throw them off all day. ...Jr High attack squad Goon Sqaud ...do some serious coloring ...go home, hug your mom and dad and say, “You guys are great!”…they’ll stay awake all night.
In other words, don’t be afraid to be yourself. Look at your classmates who took part today. . . know what? They’re glad they did. Get to know who you really are and you’re gonna love it.
Groupings, 3 noses, Start Action Dating Game,l; Word Tennis Groupings Three noses Statue! The Stare Sound Circle Line Talk Changing Channels Darned Whistle Hitchhiker Death By. . . Three Rooms Endowment Man Partner non-stop talk Freeze Tag Move Me Elevator Object Simul-Talk Late for School Panel of Experts Confessions Truth, truth, lie Panel of experts Brain Slide Show Scene 3 Ways Human Props Elimination