As a kid, speaking to a group of people used to terrify me. If I had to do a class report, my knees would shake and my voice would quiver. I hated people looking at me and always felt self-conscious about my voice and words. Their eyes were watching me. That fear disappeared after I gave myself a "good talking-to" while paying closer attention to others speaking, and thinking I'm no different than her, I can do this. But the best thing that helped me get over my fear of speaking was becoming a teacher. I never had the same fear when speaking with kids. It felt natural. I eventually transferred that natural feeling of being in front of kids to being in front of adults. Okay, even though I can speak in front of people, I still don't like doing it. I prefer writing.
Why is that? Because I can take my time, choose my words carefully and arrange and rearrange my thoughts until everything flows easily and makes sense. I'm not in a hurry and there is time for me to research the topic if I need to do that. I remember my mom telling me "think before your speak."
I didn't always follow her advice and several times regretted that. It's safer to gather my thoughts and say what I want to say by writing and avoiding foolhardy mishaps.
Throughout my life, I've been more of a living room activist for causes that I care about, but since retiring, I consider myself an advocate as I speak out about issues like women's healthcare rights and human rights. There are a lot of different ways to advocate. As a retiree, the best way for me is to blog about my story and the causes I care about. I determine when and how much time I spend writing. I often change my train of thought and figure out better ways of saying things. It's very satisfying to know that my stories are my voice. I hope the stories I tell will catch your eye and possibly inspire you to tell your story.
You can do the same. Your story is your advocacy. Use your voice. Write your story. Think of it as a book of your lived experiences with chapters of information you want to share. Let your words flow in your own voice and tone. People will connect with you and together you will glean support, confidence, and inspiration for your writing.
Are you ready to get started blogging? You can use our King Ryan Radio blog website to write your stories. Join our blog site by filling in your email in the box at the bottom of this page and we will set up a blog space for you. On the website, we have categories of topics to choose from, but you select what is important to you for your blogs. You decide how often you want to blog. Be realistic about it. Think you can blog once a week or maybe twice a month? Give it a try. Let others know that you have a blog. In no time at all your voice will be heard and you'll find how quickly others will follow you to read your stories.
“When the world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” – Malala Yousafzai
This may be a new experience for you. Don't be frightened that you'll "mess up." You won't. Stick to the community guidelines. Find your rhythm and have fun. If you need help, google is your friend. Explore resources on how to write a blog or find other online blogs to help you get started. You can also ask us for help by contacting us through email or dropping a comment on one of our blogs.
Read this brief guide from PFLAG on advocating your story...
I had a blog for many years. Once you develop your readership on your blog, and you can put something out there or direct traffic or get attention - it's like a super power. - Evan Williams
Your story is important. Maybe like me, you prefer to not speak but to write your story. King Ryan Radio is the place for you to do that. Join our blog site by filling in your email in the box at the bottom of this page. Lift your voice, and start advocating your story. Whether you're a newbie or an old-school blogger, we're looking forward to you becoming a contributor at King Ryan Radio.
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