I had always prided myself on my tongue and witty retorts whether in class debates or casual arguments. Thus, once I was selected to represent the varsity within the national debate series, I used to be naturally supremely confident of my readiness for the task. Little did I do know that this is able to end up to be one among the foremost important lessons in my life.
The run-up to the finals was a breeze for my team. We were all good speakers who had the advantage of an experienced teacher who trained us well. But within the team, I used to be undoubtedly the foremost outstanding speaker. In each of the rounds that I debated in, the judges had unanimously selected me because the best speaker. This meant that my confidence was at an all-time high by the time we found ourselves with one week to teach before the finals. I had no reason to even think that I might not be voted the general best speaker for the talk series.
Unfortunately, this meant that I started to urge arrogant about the entire business and began putting on airs with my team-mates. I would scoff at what I saw as their pathetic rebuttals and poor debating style. I saw myself because the natural debater who would be disappointed by their bad performance. As the finals drew near, I became more and more dissatisfied with my team. I began missing practices, much to the panic of my team-mates and therefore the frustration of my teacher. They had no choice but to believe me to tug through on the day of the finals. Much as they might like to remove me from the team, they might not as there was no replacement that was okay .
The day of the finals dawned bright and fine. I practically skipped to the venue of the talk finals, feeling the exhilaration of having the ability to finally boast my debating prowess. But the truth wasn't something that I had ever imagined. My absence from the practices had created a rift between my teammates and I . We couldn't seem to figure seamlessly like we did within the previous rounds. Instead, our coordination was so bad that even our college supporters were shamed into silence. When it had been my address conclude because the last speaker of the team, an expectant hush fell over the hall. Everyone knew that I used to be touted the one presumably to win the coveted overall best speaker for the series.
As I began my speech, I knew that things were very wrong. I was hesitant in my elucidation of the difficulty , realizing too late that what I used to be saying sounded incoherent because it didn't follow logically from my other team speakers' points. The puzzled looks on the faces of the judges almost drove me to tears. I had to struggle on with my speech, trying to carry back the recent tears that threatened to overflow I saw immediately the stupidity and arrogant oaf that I had been. I realized too late that I could are a very good speaker if only I had not been overconfident. As I sat down after speaking my piece, tears broke their banks and scalded my cheeks. I knew that we had lost the title. Never before had I ever felt so alone, approximately rightly so.
Suddenly, a reassuring hand clasped mine. I searched into the kindly face of my team-mate, the one whom I had earlier condemned as a moron to her face. She gestured that it had been alright which I shouldn't feel bad. That made me feel even worse. I felt sort of a scum that the tears now came unabashed. The other two team-mates of mine came to visit and hugged me.
Together, they hoped to stem my feelings of regret and pain albeit I had rightfully deserved everything and more. In fact, I had cost them the title. I kept sobbing the word "sorry" to them, feeling even worse now that they had repaid my irresponsibility and haughtiness with their kind words and comforting gestures. Even my teacher came to visit to offer me a decent squeeze on the shoulder to mention that each one was forgiven. When we were called to receive the prize for the primary runner-up position, we went up together as a team and bravely lifted the trophy to salute the cheers of our supporters. I finally realized what it had been wish to be a team.
Till today, ready to be able to always remember the trauma of defeat fashioned by my very own hands or the sheer joy of knowing that I had support in my lowest moment. I went on to subsequent debate series and eventually clinched the title with an equivalent team within the following year. I had learnt that no man is an island by himself.
