[Toastmasters]20211017- Speech : The Giving Tree 拉开一条给予的界限

今天是二个星期一次的Toastmasters 的星期日早晨例会，这次担任的职务是讲者，不过因为是临危受命，没有时间重写讲稿，所以用了之前讲过的The Giving Tree ，再稍微改一下。

台湾将这本童书翻译成「爱心树」。

大意是说一颗树和一个小男孩是好朋友，小男孩每天都去找树玩，吃她的苹果，在她的树枝上荡秋千，他们每天都很快乐。

但随着时间过去，小男孩渐渐长大，开始需要别的东西，像是钱、房子、船…等等，而树总是满足他的愿望。

所以小男孩卖掉她的苹果赚钱，砍掉她的树枝盖房子，最后小男孩砍掉树干做了船去旅行。

在故事的最后，小男孩已经老了，他回到了树的面前，并且对她说：我感觉很疲累。

树对他说：孩子来吧，坐在我的老树干上，这里很适合休息。

树和小男孩都感到很快乐

但实际上真的是这样吗？

其实第一次在看这本书的时候，有把自己带入树的角色中，我想着，妈妈的心态或许就是如此，会想着要把最好的留给孩子，即使自己受了伤，直到最后再也没有什么可以给予。

后来因为要写讲稿，上网查了一些英文心得，虽然演讲题目仍是延用「The Giving Tree」，但从亲子关系延伸到人与人之间的付出和给予，是否能够平衡。

这个星期重新顺过稿子，也多练习几次，但直到今天早上才能不看稿子顺利的讲完五分钟。

只是在实际演讲时，还是有多次结巴、忘词的情形，这个也只能再多练习，舌头才会自然的发音吧。

今天的meeting 顺利结束，又完成了一次练习，也是充实的一个星期日早晨。

以下是讲稿的全文，或许之后还有第三个版本，希望能愈来愈顺，下一次再上台时，可以自信的站在台上，不忘词的讲完整篇！

The Giving Tree

Good morning Toastmaster fellow members.

The giving tree is a children's book by Shel Silverstein, he made in 1964.

Do you ever read this book?

The giving tree is about relationship between a boy and a tree.

It starts off with the line once there was a tree and she loved a little boy.

Every day the boy would come to the tree eat her apples and sweat her branches and this made the tree very happy.

But the time passed by the boy grew older and he started asking for more stuff like money, a house a boat can anyone actually imagine talking to the tree, and the tree always try to satisfy his wishes.

The boy makes money by selling apples, he makes a house using her branches, he gets to travel because he used the tree's trunk as boat.

In the end of the story, the little boy is old and he talked with the tree: I am tired.

The tree said: come boy, sit down the old stump is good for sitting and resting.

The boy did and tree was very happy.

The story is end, the boy and the tree are happy, is it true?

Please think this question and hold the answer.

If you ask parents to think of children's book about generosity,” The Giving Tree” is usually the first one they can provide. But here's the thing: It is not really about generosity, it's a book about self-sacrifice, and those are two very difference things.

The tree's act of sacrifice seems noble, like the parent gives to a child, but if you assume the story is about generosity, it's easy to learn wrong lesson.

That is OK for a child to take selfishly and adults should give until it hurts- and keep giving until they have nothing to offer.

Self-sacrifice is not sustainable, and it isn't healthy either. Research shows that people care about others and neglect themselves are more likely to become anxious and depressed. They are also less effective.

Generosity is not about sacrificing yourself for others, it's about helping others without bother yourself. It's not about giving to takers, it is giving in ways that nurture more givers. It's not about dripping everything any time to someone need you, it is priority your needs along with theirs.

The book is not only for parent and child, the most important it's teach us that in person to person interaction, no matter what the relationship, you can't just give and take completely.

So, how can we do?

1、Measure your own time and ability to give.

2'、When we receive help, we must keep it in mind and give kind feedback.

Just like we are in Toastmasters club, we pay attention and time here, and also learn from each other.

So that this love can continue, this is the meaning of giving.

Thank you, Toastmasters of the day.