Speech: Creating an Effect, by Val Rodionov

When I told this story for the first time in our Toastmasters, Renaissance Speakers, club, my wife, Yana, completely believed the story. (I think it happened because at the end I said a phrase related to “my wife.”) When I came off the stage and sat down next to Yana, she was very angry, and she was “elbowing” me (it did hurt a bit). She asked “why didn’t you tell me about this before?” I replied “I will explain it to you later.” I could barely hold my laughter. In fact I had to suppress it as much as I could, and I giggled occasionally. It was going to the end of our meeting. I won “the best speaker” award that day with this speech, but the drama continued. Yana and I went to the car. She was not just upset – she was furious because “I had withheld this story from her.” I knew that Yana completely believed the story, but I did not know why. I started asking her questions trying to understand why she is reacting so “wild.” I figured it out! She did not know the definition of “tall tale,” and my speech was announced as a tall tail. I explained to her what “tall tale” means, and it definitely helped me to dissolve the tension! We could not stop giggling until we went to bed that evening. That was a fun day!