Looking Back on Your Novice Days and Laughing

I've probably mentioned before that I came into speech and debate knowing absolutely nothing. About speech and debate, I mean. Ahh, those were the days. I remember people telling me to look on the NCFCA website to check the rules on something. In fact, about four people told me that before I finally figured out they were saying N-C-F-C-A and not "Enseeifseea" or something because they said it so fast. I don't think I figured it out until someone wrote it down. I remember hearing that I qualified for nationals after my first tournament (back when you only needed one checkmark) and asking around to see if that was true and what it actually meant. I remember realizing that breaking is actually a good thing. I remember the first LD round I ever saw and how fascinated I was and later, the first Policy round I saw and how confused I was. I remember my novice impromptu days where I would decide in prep time to use one example and then accidentally tell them in the intro that I was using another. Man, I remember lots of stuff, because really, it wasn't that long ago. 

Whatever ridiculous things you may have thought or done, it's fun to look back on your days as a first-year and smile. It's fun to think, why did I think that would make a good interp or platform? Or, what was I thinking when I gave that impromptu speech? Or you could be like me and watch old videos of your speech and think, "Oh. That's why they told me to slow down." Or you can remember how excited you were to finally be able to give a minute long impromptu. Or two minutes. Or three, or four, or -gasp- FIVE. You can remember the people you hung out with and the people who started the same year as you and see how much you all have grown. 'Cause you've gone through a lot together since your novice year, and that's a fun thing to smile and laugh about.  

You're homeschooled, and it's true what they say. We grow up so fast.