What do you mean there is no trap door???? (Blog 16 of 30)

Every year, the Air Cadets in town hold an "Effective Speaking" competition and I have had the privilege of being asked to be a judge for that event a couple of time.

This year, I was asked again, so I began to think about ways to make it more interesting.

My first thought was to go all "American Idol" on it.  Find my tightest white t-shirt, slick my hair back a bit and be a complete jerk to everyone like Simon Cowell used to do.... but then I remembered that I can't do an English accent to save my life (I always end up sounding like Count Dracula - and that would just be confusing), so I tossed that idea.

Then I thought about "The Gong Show".  Does anyone remember this show?  Apparently, it is back on TV, but I vaguely remember the old one from like the late 70s.  If I remember correctly, contestants would come on stage and do whatever it was that they did.... sing, tell jokes, etc..... and the judges would have to listen for a set amount of time. However, after that time passed, if they disliked the performance, they could get up and hit this big gong - which would eliminate the contestant.

I thought that would be a fun way to do things until I remembered that we were not going to have a studio audience yelling, "Gong!!!!! Gong!!!!!! Gong!!!!|"......  and without that - what's the point?

Besides, I can't find my gong anywhere!  I think Sara must have hidden it!

Then I considered giving them the "Preacher reality tour" where I just sit there and fall asleep as they talk..... or start to argue with them right in the middle of their presentation...... or just get up and leave without saying a word (Believe it or not, every one of those things has happened to various preachers that I know.  I have had sleepers - but have been spared the really crazy church stories).

Then I thought about trap doors or ejection seats..... but with the stupid regulations that are in place today and everyone's concerns over personal safety I thought that may not go over very well. 

When I was in jr. high, a couple of kids were goofing around in the gym.... one slammed the other guy's finger in the hinge side of the door..... lopped the end of his pinky right off!!!  No one sued!!!   The newspaper never came around!!!  In fact, buddy just picked up the piece and said, "Cool!" - or something - and that was it.

Well, other than the fact that buddy does not have an end to his finger any more.... but my point is..... the good old days are gone....... so the ejection seat idea was out (though it is an AIR CADETS thing...... I thought it would be appropriate on some level).

In the end, I just went and listened to 5 really nice kids give some really well prepared speeches.  Then they each had to do a speech on the spot based on a topic that we gave them. 

All in all, it was really fun!  The kids were super nice and did a great job and my fellow judges were fun to work with too.  They even gave me a "thank you" present.  I hope they ask me again next year!