Day 14: Readers Theater

During those awkward days of Junior High I was a part of a club called "Readers Theater". We were a group of misfits who would gather together with one of our English teachers, memorize poetry and then perform these famous words for others. Just imagine 15 or so junior highers standing on stage and quoting "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe or "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost in unison.

I'm not sure what inspired me to join readers theater. I was also active in band, the play and had even played volleyball and track (B squads!). I don't remember a friend joining -- but somehow it's a place I found acceptance.

Tomorrow I'm doing a short public speaking event at work and as I'm preparing what I'm going to say and how I would motivate myself to stand and speak audible words in front of a thousand students and was reflecting on how things like Readers Theater helped prepare me for moments like this. Indeed, I believe this quirky group enhanced my speaking skills and confidence. And, as a bonus, exposed me to some great poetry.

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
two roads diverged in a wood,
and I --I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

-R. Frost