[Toastmasters]20211017- Speech : The Giving Tree 拉開一條給予的界限

今天是二個星期一次的Toastmasters 的星期日早晨例會，這次擔任的職務是講者，不過因為是臨危受命，沒有時間重寫講稿，所以用了之前講過的The Giving Tree ，再稍微改一下。

台灣將這本童書翻譯成「愛心樹」。

大意是說一顆樹和一個小男孩是好朋友，小男孩每天都去找樹玩，吃她的蘋果，在她的樹枝上盪鞦韆，他們每天都很快樂。

但隨著時間過去，小男孩漸漸長大，開始需要別的東西，像是錢、房子、船…等等，而樹總是滿足他的願望。

所以小男孩賣掉她的蘋果賺錢，砍掉她的樹枝蓋房子，最後小男孩砍掉樹幹做了船去旅行。

在故事的最後，小男孩已經老了，他回到了樹的面前，並且對她說：我感覺很疲累。

樹對他說：孩子來吧，坐在我的老樹幹上，這裡很適合休息。

樹和小男孩都感到很快樂

但實際上真的是這樣嗎？

其實第一次在看這本書的時候，有把自己帶入樹的角色中，我想著，媽媽的心態或許就是如此，會想著要把最好的留給孩子，即使自己受了傷，直到最後再也沒有什麼可以給予。

後來因為要寫講稿，上網查了一些英文心得，雖然演講題目仍是延用「The Giving Tree」，但從親子關係延伸到人與人之間的付出和給予，是否能夠平衡。

這個星期重新順過稿子，也多練習幾次，但直到今天早上才能不看稿子順利的講完五分鐘。

只是在實際演講時，還是有多次結巴、忘詞的情形，這個也只能再多練習，舌頭才會自然的發音吧。

今天的meeting 順利結束，又完成了一次練習，也是充實的一個星期日早晨。

以下是講稿的全文，或許之後還有第三個版本，希望能愈來愈順，下一次再上台時，可以自信的站在台上，不忘詞的講完整篇！

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.