There aren't many like my dad

"Wow, I wish they'd invite me to be a keynote speaker." Dad rubbed his eyes, trying to keep his heavy lids from shutting permanently.

It was only 9:00 AM but the packed room of hundreds of educators, a dimly lit stage with statistics of high school and college graduate median incomes splashed across a large screen not quite big enough to read from the back of the room and a droning voice of an ex-superintendent discussing the need to get more kids to go to college had a very sleepy effect on all of us in the audience. Throw in the fact that dad had just raced back from Nebraska the night before in order to get up by 6:00 AM, drive to this conference with 2 presentations of his own he had to give that afternoon, all the while smiling and excitedly telling the people visiting our Education: Catch the Dream! booth why we were so great.

I chuckled. "Dad, there aren't many people that would wish for the chance to speak in front of a room filled of hundreds of strangers. You are unique."

There are many talents my father has. His positive attitude, his ability to make you feel important, his strength in talking to strangers, his drive toward helping the world, his business sense, etc. etc. The talent of public speaking is one I've known my father has all my life. In his career he spoke in front of large groups all the time and I knew even as a young child that he was good at it. In fact he found public speaking so important he spent many family nights teaching us kids how to give good talks and important points in presenting ourselves. He started our annual Curtis Convention (Curticon) when we were young. We went to the local Holiday Inn, excited about the great indoor pool, and were instead all given an agenda indicating what topic we would present or other talent we would share in front of everyone in the family. This opportunity still happens every year, now including our spouses and children in the presentations.

I have learned a lot from his example and when I get an opportunity like I did last Friday to actually watch him in action, I am very proud. His afternoon presentations were a dramatic difference from the morning's key-note speaker. He had laughter, applause, an overflowing room, and shining feedback. His second presentation was about 80% full of people that had already attended his first session, wanting to take part in his speech again. I definitely recognized the unique talent that public speakers have, one I hope to continue to develop in my life time.

As we packed up our materials for the day, I told him how great I thought he did. He returned the compliment, recognizing me for some of my abilities to talk to others and enthusiastically engage them. (thank you, I am glad I take after him a little bit.)

"So are you taking this week off? I'm sure you're exhausted from all your traveling, presenting and other stuff." I asked, knowing that he had been training in Wyoming a couple weeks before and back and forth from Nebraska in those same two weeks.

"Well, I have a few days to rest. I'm off to the Congo on Wednesday." I laughed at my retired father. A man who doesn't embrace the world's view of retirement in any way. A man that starts social businesses for fun, and yearns to speak in front of hundreds of people just for kicks. A man I'm proud to call my dad.