Having being diagnosed in 2010 like many others i have suffered from problems with my speech. Volume so low i could hardly be heard, long pauses and disjointed sentences.
My dilemma was the rapidly approaching wedding day of one of my daughters.
I was fortunate in receiving some excellent therapy from my local health trust a few years ago and it was time to brush of the cobwebs and get back to the exercises.
With the support of my wife the volume level began to rise and I began to write the speech.
Protocol dictates that the father of the bride makes the first speech and a trawl of the internet gave me a guide as to who I needed to include and what to say about them.
This broke down as follows.
Welcome the guests, keeping it simple was my aim and the opening line was "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and thank you for coming here to celebrate the wedding of......"
No need to single anyone out for any reason.
Secondly a word or two about the bride. No long drawn out tales about her childhood or education just a simple "We are proud of what she has achieved and how she has done it." If anyone wanted to know more they were free to ask later.
Thirdly, welcome the groom to our family. Summed him up in a couple of words, no jokes or veiled threats just an honest welcome.
Fourth point Welcome the grooms parents, see point three.
Fifth point, words of wisdom to the newly wed couple, I left it to three bits of advice, nothing crude or witty.
Six propose a toast
Done.
I stood up to make the speech and one of the staff slipped me a microphone, like a condemned man refusing a blindfold I left it on the table. Deep breath, head up loud voice at the ready...
"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen....."
I could hear it and the audience were hearing it too, the bite sized pieces made it easy to deliver and in the space of a few minutes the deed was done.
The point of all this is not to blow my own trumpet but to say it can be done and if this helps anyone else so much the better.