Just Try It

Remember when you were little, and your mother made something disgusting for dinner? She would always say, "Just try it!" Trying new things may occasionally be difficult or painful, but it helps us fulfill our potential, build brain cells, and expand our horizons. It's not just about food, it's about your whole life.

When I was in the seventh grade, I changed schools for the first time since kindergarten. I was at a junior high with older kids, and they all seemed so serious!

It was pretty scary, especially after spending a year with my 6th grade teacher, Mr. Mitchell (who looked almost exactly like Colonel Sanders). In that class, I had learned such things as: old radio shows could be really cool. After lunch, Mr. Mitchell would always play one for us, like "The Shadow," "War of the Worlds," or "The Chicken Heart."

I was dumped from that relaxed atmosphere right into Algebra. Yes, I'm talking about the same class you had trouble with in college. At my junior high, the class was designed for 8th graders, and none of my friends were there. As a matter of fact, I was one of only 3 7th graders in my class. After taking the competency test, I was one of only 2 7th graders for a while.

The Introduction to Algebra classes were full, and our Principal believed in sending each child to the highest class they were capable of passing. There was no question of sending kids back to PreAlgebra when they qualified for Introduction to Algebra. He decided to stretch some of our limits and send us to Algebra instead. I was one of them.

I had never had anything more than addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in elementary school. My best friend had an Algebra computer program, but I only got to play it once.

My best friend did her best to terrify me. She told me, "You couldn't possibly pass Algebra with no preparation. I've been practicing, and I still didn't make it into the class! You'll be missing important information by skipping Introduction to Algebra!"

Well, I'd passed the competency test. I decided to believe the teacher knew what he was doing letting me stay in the class. I was going to at least try it. I figured, if I started struggling, I could always drop back. We were on the Trimester program there, so we had two chances to change classes, and three grades in each class. I passed with a B and 2 A's.

Succeeding at a new challenge in junior high gave me the confidence to tackle more new enterprises on my own, like high school sports and website promotion, which is now my career.

Besides learning new skills that can enhance your life, trying new things builds brain cells. By learning a new card game, you may find yourself remembering other things better, reasoning faster, and thinking more clearly. But if you've been reading our Toastmaster's Magazine, you already know all about that.

Trying new things will also help you expand your horizons. You'll discover new food you like, new authors whose next book you can anxiously await, new places to frequent, and new games to enjoy.

A few years ago, one of my friends discovered a new park. It was a little out of our way, but it was gorgeous! Almaden park, at the corner of Meridian and Camden in San Jose, is a decent-sized hill covered in yellow mustard flowers and encircled by manicured lawn and picnic tables. Every year since then, we go back for a picnic in spring. As a matter of fact, we'll be going back soon for this year's trip.

Every year, I take more pictures, find the perfect new angle or vista. I took a whole roll of film the first time we visited the park, and it's not really that big.

You'll never know what you'll be good at, or what fun you'll have, unless you try new things. Don't let others stop you with their negativity. Last year, I joined Toastmasters, making my first speech for our club's Tall Tales contest. This year, I plan to take my first flight overseas - to Italy. What will you try this year?

NOTE: This speech is not what I actually said, but rather what I wish I had said. I only had a week to prepare it for the International Contest, when "Random Acts of Kindness" turned out to have too much unoriginal material. This is the speech I prepared in case I had to deliver it at our Area Contest as Second Runner Up. (The winner was ill the previous week, and I wanted to be ready.)

last updated April 2, 2000