How Model United Nations Changed My Life
An inspiring story about how I overcame my speech disorder
The story I am about to tell you now dates back to when I was 13 years old. I was a shy, reserved guy with really poor self-confidence. Now being a shy and reserved kid isn’t a big deal for a 13-year-old who just hit puberty. As a matter of fact, I am 17 and still the same to some extent.
So judging by the title of this story and the introduction you might have predicted that Model United Nations(MUNs) might have turned me into a confident, outspoken person.
Well, it did.
But the story doesn’t end here because the impact that MUNs carried was far greater than merely changing my personality because it actually changed my life completely.
Since my childhood when I first learned how to speak I have been facing what some researchers consider a speech disorder. It’s called ‘cluttering’. Basically, people with this disorder speak at a rapid pace which the listeners might find confusing or unclear. This disorder is surprisingly common among many notable celebrities.
Now there is a huge difference between a celebrity and a school kid. When someone has something unique in the crowd the rest of the people is bound to make fun of him.
The early years of my schooling went actually smoothly because none of my classmates was exceptionally good with their own speaking skills. But the problem aroused when I came to middle school. Teachers who were now particular about our speaking skills started pointing out my rapid speech in front of my classmates. Somehow this resulted in my classmates inculcating the same thoughts about me.
Well, you know what comes next. My friends now started making fun of my speech disorder. Now for a young boy, being made fun of like this by his peers was a hard blow. My self-esteem was crushed. I was afraid of talking to anyone in school just to be made fun of again. But all these made one thing clear in my mind that sitting and crying just to hear the same things every day won’t help. I have to stand up against it, work hard and prove myself.
Although I wasn’t good at expressing my thoughts verbally, the same wasn’t true when it comes to expressing them in writing. It was like the universe had gifted me with a wide array of words and lines that can express my thoughts in writing as if I was speaking them.
This is the part where MUNs come in. Model United Nations, for those who don't know, is a simulation of the real United Nations. I always had an interest in world politics, diplomacy but speeches are an integral part of any MUN conference. MUNs were a big thing in our city as the most exceptional students used to participate and win. I saw this as an opportunity to prove myself and give back to the people who made fun of me all these years.
So I registered and to be honest no one expected me to win not even me. People told me that I was just wasting my time and money on it. But I still kept working hard. I spent days practicing my speaking skills, researching my agenda, trying to fight my anxiety thinking about the conference. With a nervous heart and frightened soul but with the guidance of one of my friends, who was an experienced MUNner, I went to the conference.
The two days conference is what I call one of the best two days of my life. The hard work I put on my speaking skills made my words at least come out decently but the way I presented my points being a first-timer was viewed with the exception in the eyes of the chairpersons.
The last day, the last hour. At the time when the awards were distributed I was sitting at the corner of the room. Was I expecting to win an award? Not even a bit. But was I proud of myself? A lot. For the first time, I spoke up, and this time, I was appreciated.
The chairpersons started calling out the names of the winners. I was shivering with nervousness with my fingers crossed. My name wasn’t called until the top three awards so I lost my hope because I was certain that I will not be placed in the top three. But ….the very second the judges called my name for the 3rd place. I was blank, speechless, startled, and many other adjectives that could describe my joy at that moment. I jumped from the seat to the stage with almost tears in my eyes to receive the award. That moment.. that very moment I felt I have achieved everything in my life.
After the conference, everyone just rushed to congratulate me even those who were “advising” me not to participate in the event. Being a first-timer it was such a big deal for everyone… but it was even a bigger deal for me.
Now, most of my classmates or my teachers don’t make fun of my speaking habit anymore. Even if someone does, do I care now? Absolutely not. Just this one achievement changed my outlook towards my speech. I know what am I capable of accomplishing. I may be a fast speaker but now I ace every competition that includes public speaking and when I speak, I speak with confidence using convincing words. An icing on the cake is that my speech disorder is much better now. My speech is much more comprehendible.
MUNs for this reason are personally attached to me. It was an event that turned me into the confident mature and self-respecting person I am today. It taught me to speak up against what’s wrong and stand up for what’s right. But most importantly.. it gave me a platform. A platform to prove myself and others my own self-worth. It taught me that not only I but everyone can defy the people who make fun of us by accepting our flaws and working hard on it.
