I was minding my own business, reviewing my speech notes at a high top table on the ground floor of the RiverCentre Convention Center last week. In a few minutes, I would be heading upstairs to the ballroom to deliver the closing keynote for an association conference.
A scruffy-looking man reeking of alcohol approached me. I could smell him from three feet away.
“Are you having a good day?” he asked.
I smiled politely, knowing what was coming, and answered, “I’m having a great day. I’m preparing to give a speech in a few minutes.”
We chatted for a minute and then he asked the question I was expecting, “I don’t suppose you could spare a few dollars, to help me out?”
Now, I sometimes give money to beggars, but never to those clearly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
I packed up my things and said, “Not today. I have to go. Have a good day.” And I turned and left, hoping he wasn’t following me.
By the time the escalator reached the second floor, it dawned on me–I had speech material!
In fact, I had speech material to incorporate into my keynote that day! In one part of my keynote, I talk about a variation of the Golden Rule, the Platinum Rule: Treat others the way they want to be treated. The Platinum Rule has some challenges. If you treat people the way they want to be treated, that could be in opposition to your own values and also could cause them harm. I could illustrate that with the experience I just had. The panhandler wanted money, so if I applied the Platinum Rule, I would have given him money. However, if I had done so, that would have been against my values and possibly harmful to him.
The story was relevant, personal and so fresh, it could have happened to any of them.
When the beggar had approached me, I had been annoyed. But, in retrospect, he had given me a golden opportunity to relive a story with my audience to help a point stick.
Life gives you golden opportunities all the time, if you recognize them. The next time something bad, or even just interesting happens to you, realize that you have been given the gift of speech material.