Speech No.5: Vocal Variety

The objectives of this speech are:
- To explore the use of voice volume, pitch, rate, and quality as assets to your speaking.
- To achieve a pleasing natural voice quality when speaking.
Time 5 to 7 minutes.

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The Talk about My Age and My Being Single
Rosette Hizon
Date presented: January 18, 2002

We, women in general, hate conversations whose topics involve age and relationships. For us, if someone guessed our age incorrectly, we take this very seriously. And if we’re still single and very much available at that age (as what others call it), we think that we’re very ugly or unattractive and we normally envy those who have significant others and ask ourselves what do they have that we don’t. We normally have a time frame in terms of marrying age because of the burden of child bearing unlike men. There’s also this worry about wrinkles and aging. With age comes the physical appearance. We know that as we grow old and if we’re not strict with our diet and what we eat, our metabolism slows down. These things didn’t worry me before and I found the topic very superficial until recently.

Two weeks ago, I celebrated my 26th birthday. I can’t believe I am 26 already and yes, I’m still single! Time really flies by so quickly. Since then, every time somebody asks me how old I am, I always say 25 and then followed by the remark “oops, it’s 26, sorry!” As I look back at my existence, the past 25 years of my life had been full of surprises, failures, victories, and blessings.

It is now that I realize I am not getting any younger and that I should start planning for my future. Not that I am not planning for it, what I mean is, planning of starting my own family. When I woke up the day of my birthday, I thought of what I really want for my life and what am I still waiting for. My thoughts were halted when the phone rang and it was my significant other greeting me a happy birthday and at the same time making fun of my age. When he made the remark “Four more years and then you’ll be thirty!” the idea of my age then struck me hard. I said to myself, Oh my goodness! I am getting old! I immediately hung up the receiver and went to look at myself in the mirror. That day went by quietly but with the words still sounding in my ears.

It’s not that I don’t want to get old, it’s the idea of maturity that goes with it is what’s concerning me more. I know I’m a little bit immature and childlike at my age. I have accepted the fact that we couldn’t stop ourselves from aging and no matter how many dermatologists we consult, the signs will be evident. Everytime I look in the mirror, I imagine my face wrinkling and my head full of gray hair.

Due to that short remark, I am now one of those people who are sensitive to topics that involve either age or relationships. Some say that I am still young and others say I should be getting married soon. My Kumare told me that she already had a son when she was my age and my college friends are all getting married, one by one. I am always a bridesmaid or a secondary sponsor during my friends’ weddings and whenever it’s time for the bride to throw the flower, it’s not being thrown but handed directly to me. I am always chosen as a godmother during baptisms every time my friends will have a new baby. It’s funny whenever I think about these things but I know the magnitude of me planning for these events are getting bigger and bigger as the years go by. My friends and the people around me kept on asking me when I’d be walking down the aisle. They always joke about my being a bridesmaid or Ninang all the time.

Last Tuesday, I ate dinner with my old friends from my previous job. You know what they asked me when we sat down to eat? They asked me, “so any wedding plans yet?” I told them that I was still young and they all laughed. The reason is because there’s only two of us left who are still single. The topic about age and our being single were brought up again. My other friend who was just like me told me that she needs to find herself a suitable partner and that she needs to plan for her future family. I suddenly became quiet. Yes, I have a stable relationship, but wedding plans? I don’t have any. Every time my boy friend will bring up the subject, I usually try to change the topic. Then it dawned on me; I’m still single because it’s my own preference. I still love to do things on my own and I enjoy the state I am in. Why will these things pressure me? I know my time will come and until that time comes, I will still continue my being single.

At this point, I will not worry about my age anymore. Instead, I will think of all the things that I’ve accomplished and the places that I’ve been to. As far as my being single is concerned, I know that one day; I’ll wake up ready to accept that added responsibility.