My Speech #4

CONQUERING THE WORLD

“How can we observe what we can’t see? This is my mind-boggling million peso question for you tonight.  The answer is simple: close your eyes.  Think of one big thing that shook the world lately.  Think of its effects on us. Think of the strong reaction that we had to it.  Think of how concerned and scared we had been.  More clues–it’s contagious, but is it serious and dangerous?  No!  Then, it’s not Michael Jackson’s death. This is not the first time that this happened to the world, but we seem to be unprepared for it.  End of the world?  No, but close.  It’s the news that had many updates for so long a time already up to now.  It’s like the daily weather forecast.  The horoscope? Definitely not!

 H1N1, anyone?  Yeah!  It’s the influenza A(H1N1) virus gimmick, rather pandemic. A virus as it is, it is invisible, but its presence is very much palpable, its traits very much observable.  Here are some of its traits:

First, it’s contagious.  When it was born or came out of this world, it has spread on the globe like gooseflesh cropping on the skin. From Mexico, the US, to Canada, Europe, Asia, Philippines to Fiji, it has really arrived.  It has traveled far, fast, and wide into the world.  It’s very much alive inside of us, in the droplets that we cough and sneeze out, in the very spaces that separate us from one another, on any surface of any object.  And most importantly, it is daring enough to cross any border, without minding a barrier or two, even continents, struggling to get into anything to spread itself, like the cold air from the aircon that pervades even the thickest of jackets when we’re in the movies.

Second, it’s a tough and sturdy virus.  It can survive extremes of temperature, it can survive the ice of Alaska and the deserts of Egypt.  It can hit any person, even a strong boxer like Manny Pacquiao will go down on the floor, even those with very good immune systems may suffer from its fury when challenged.    If a person is weak or diseased, it knows when to take the opportunity to knock down that person’s defenses.  It is also hard to put off, so you have to sing the whole “Happy Birthday” song while you wash your hands. 20 seconds to be exact.  “Happy birthday to you……”

Third, it’s a new virus on the block, making it very unique.  It came into being from different flu genes found in birds, pigs and humans. This unique pedigree becomes a personal gift that it uses to its advantage.  Up to now, the make-up of the virus still baffles scientists and virus experts around the world.  Humans aren’t ready for this virus yet because we still don’t have immunity to this.  No vaccine, no medication, has yet been made to prevent and cure this virus 100%.  Being new, it’s also thought to be an adventurous virus.  Just like some of its ancestors, it has the potential to mutate into a very aggressive and powerful virus that can wipe out mankind.  It might be the kind that can easily jump from humans to animals and vice-versa, at the speed of air.  If this happens, this will be the pandemic of all pandemics.

Viruses have been here with us since time immemorial.  But unlike us humans, they have managed to survive the challenges of the times better than us, by transforming themselves, undergoing evolution of sorts as far as their traits are concerned, for them to be effective in what they’re supposed to do.  Spread itself, take down a person’s immune system, and grip the world in pandemic. 

There are three personal viral lessons I will like to talk to you about:

As a person, my enthusiasm for life and what I do is in the proportion of a contagion.  I spread the word on how marvelous living is despite setbacks and tough times.  I am passionate about being a doctor and a public health practitioner and I intentionally infect others with this passion, sharing with them something which I know is transcendent—the love of the world. 

I am a determined and focused person.  I see my goal everyday eye to eye.  Whatever it takes to get it, I will do it.  Things will trip me, make me fall, or even stop me in my tracks but I will persevere and persevere and persevere until I get what I want.  Just like how I accomplished things in my life: taking Medicine, passing the boards, having a stable well-paying job, getting a Masters, and lately, getting a good position in the government.

But after all that’s been said and done, it’s about transformation.  From a meek, uninterested, unconfident child in grade school, I have become what I am today, a person ready to conquer the world with his profession, expertise, and special skills.  It takes assessing one’s self, sizing up the situation around, and seizing opportunities to reinvent ourselves for us to be more formidable and more capable of achieving our goal.

We need not wait for the next wave of pandemic to come out of our own.  We need not see the A(H1N1) virus for us to believe—that deep in ourselves, we might not see it, but we have the power,  the skills, and the ability to transform into someone who can change the world.

Good evening, fellow toastmasters!

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