Page 32 - aprl 2017 Voices

TELL ME A STORY
48 Hour Dreams
by Mitch McDonald, Area 63 Int’l Speech Champion
The following speech won the 2017 Area 63 International Speech Contest.
It is reprinted with permisson of the author.
Have you ever had a dream? Something
that you really wanted to do, yet it never quite
happened?
I’ve lived a life full of big dreams—to be a
veterinarian, a musician, a bodyguard, a painter,
a poet or a priest! Yet one dream has always
remained at the forefront of my mind: to work
in the movies.
Ever since I was old enough to understand
what movies were, I wanted to be a part of that
magic. In high school I took a film class and
discovered my calling: special effects makeup.
To create a wound, perhaps add some horns
or to transform into a weathered old man with
a bugged out eye . . . it became a passion that I
had a talent for!
Do you remember your dream? That one
impossible thing that sets your soul on fire?
Yet I lived my life in limbo, a perpetual state
of desire. Never quite taking that first step to
create the life of my dreams. I worked, I played
and makeup was relegated to Halloween. Time
marched relentlessly forward, years ticked by,
and decades rolled past leaving little in their
32
wake but a hollow ache.
Has life ever gotten in your way? When
you knew exactly what you wanted to do yet it
remained tantalizingly just out of reach?
One day I randomly heard about a film
contest and a stranger who needed a crew in
order to compete. In an uncharacteristically bold
moment I sent out an email! “Do you need a
makeup artist?” I asked. (A question to be laughed
at I was sure.) “WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?
YOU’RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH!”, I scolded
myself! I awaited for the mocking, “Phhhhht!
Not YOU!”, that was sure to come.
Isn’t it interesting how as we stand on the
precipice of something incredible our minds
panic! They begin trying to pull us back from
the edge into the safety of the known . . .
Despite all my self doubt, a response did
come. “Sure! We can use all the help we can
get!” That was the 48 Hour Film Project in
which contestants have two days to write, shoot,
edit and score a seven-minute short film. One
weekend with no sleep, several makeup effects, a
brazen bicycle beat down, blood squirting freely
and tons of coffee that shot me onto the path of
the movies! That was one year ago. Since then
I have worked on five projects, one of which was
a feature length film released at the end of last
year, and I have several more scheduled out.
In the words of Jim Carey, “You can fail at
what you don’t want, so you might as well take
a chance on what you love!”
My challenge to each of you is to reach for
your dream, that impossible thing! Dream BIG!
Act BOLDLY! And live your DREAMS!
Mtch McDonald joined Marylhurst Toastmasters
in January 2016. He is currently serving as VP Public
Relations.
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 10 APRIL, 2017