It’s a bit of a standing joke in our family. Take me to the cinema and within five minutes of the film starting, I’m asleep. Well, I mean, comfortable, warm and dark = sleep as far as I’m concerned! So if I tell you that I’ve been to see the King’s Speech, not once but twice, and I DIDN’T FALL ASLEEP……good film!
The brilliant performances from the cast, great cinematography and the wonderful balance of humour and pathos in the script made it easy for me to say yes to going again. It has to be said that Colin Firth had something to do with my level of interest – still haven’t forgotten ‘Mr Darcy’ and don’t suppose you have, if you’re female and the right age!
However, what really interested me was the storyline which revealed King George’s challenging up-bringing and how this had created anxiety which affected his speech to the point of him stammering really badly. History tells us that his parents were undemonstrative and he was not only missing out on affection, he was subjected to a stern upbringing by his nanny.
He was certainly the product of Victorian upbringing, in an era when Royalty would definitely have shared the accepted belief that children should be seen and not heard. Now that’s an interesting belief to hold….I wonder if that has had a long-term effect on the self-expression of the nation?! Isn’t it interesting that man’s greatest fear is not death, but public speaking. WHAT is that about? Time to check in with yourself and ask some questions.
Are you able to relate to the King, with all his difficulties in expressing himself? Maybe there are situations in your life when you want to say something and you’re stopped, not because of a speech impediment, but because of some other factor. It might be:
• lack of preparation – you might need to think through exactly what you want to say, rather than blurt something out on the spur of the moment.
• you’re unable to control your emotions and this would minimise the impact of your communication
• you think no-one values what you have to say
• you’re scared of letting people know your innermost thoughts and feelings.
It could be one of the above, or maybe, of course, it’s all of the above, to some degree! In which case, it’s time to start having a look and asking some questions. How can you express your point of view in a powerful and compelling manner? How can you become even better at sharing who you really are?
Have a think about it, and let me know what you come up with.
Finally, back to the King’s Speech for a moment. As I said earlier, I didn’t fall asleep – I was so humbled, moved and inspired by the courage of this man, sleep was the last thing on my mind. In fact, I think I might go and see it for a third time…….maybe his courage will rub off on me?