SPEAKEMPOWER JOURNEY • LESSON 08
CONNECTING THROUGH HUMOR
Find Connection in Everyday Life
Finding the Smile in Your Story
A forgotten errand. An unexpected answer. A romantic husband with a very practical opinion about aging. Everyday life gives us moments that become funny when we step back and look at them again.
Humor begins with noticing. When you share a small, honest imperfection, your listeners may recognize themselves. They relax. They smile. The distance between speaker and audience becomes a little smaller.
You do not need to become a comedian. Begin with something familiar: your own experience. Let your audience meet the person behind the message.
Welcome to Connecting through Humor
In this lesson, you will explore how a personal story can invite laughter and still leave listeners with something meaningful. The example speech looks at getting older with affection, frustration, and a renewed desire to enjoy life.
As you read, notice the places where the story changes direction. Wisdom becomes forgetfulness. Fine wine threatens to become vinegar. A complaint about aging becomes an invitation to fall in love again.
By the end of this lesson, practice finding a humorous moment, shaping a clear setup and surprise, and using your voice and pauses to give the audience room to respond.
Shared laughter begins with a familiar human moment.
Before You Begin
Think of a small mishap you can laugh about now. What happened? What did you expect? What actually happened?
A PERSONAL STORY
An All-Timer Again...
Just in a different way.....
Jim Rom said Life has four seasons. Spring becomes summer. Summer becomes fall. Fall becomes winter. And after winter, spring comes again. Keep that thought in the back of your mind. We will come back to it—if I remember.
I used to think menopause was a bad thing. When it arrived, I realized my body had become a house with maintenance problems. The plumbing stopped working properly. The pipes were overheating. The upstairs was flooding. And the boiler? Under pressure!
Getting older is an interesting process. I appreciate my wisdom. I just wish my emotions would appreciate it, too.
I love the expression “aging like fine wine.” You smell good. You taste good. What a wonderful process!
My husband says aging is like turning grape juice into wine. But if you wait too long, it might turn into vinegar.
Now you know David. My husband is the romantic type!
When we were younger, we were impatient. We drove a little faster than we should have.
Have you ever driven one hundred miles an hour? My niece, Emily did. A police officer appeared out of nowhere, chased her into my office parking lot, and gave her a lecture about what could happen to her—or someone else. Oh… you should have seen the smile I gave to that police officer.
Then there was my daughter. A police officer was driving beside her. She was speeding. He was speeding. She thought it must be all right - until he pulled her over and asked, “Are we racing?”
And the other day, I got pulled over. I have only gotten one ticket in past fifteen or twenty years, and I know I deserved this one. That is the power of wisdom. You may still get the ticket, but at least you understand why.
These days, I value my life a little more. I follow the rules a little more closely. Besides, arriving on time no longer seems worth arriving at one hundred miles an hour.
But there is one thing I do not enjoy about getting older: becoming forgetful.
I used to get things done in one trip. Now I am a half-timer. Half the time, I remember what I am doing.
A PERSONAL STORY • CONTINUED
An All-Timer Again
Example speech • Continued
I used to walk into the kitchen and stand there thinking, “What in the world am I here for?” And that was the polite version of the conversation. Then I had to go back to where I started. Suddenly, I remembered!
And age! Have you noticed how some people stay forty-nine for years? I used to think, “Come on. It is all right. You are who you are. Why hide your age?”
Then I did something similar. I would not call it lying. I simply picked a number. Fifty-three sounded good, so I kept it.
A few days ago, I needed to know my actual age. I calculated it. I was shocked. Apparently, while I was staying fifty-three, the calendar kept going.
I am not going to tell you the number. But when I get older, I intend to be fashionable and ambitious—like Yzma in The Emperor’s New Groove. She has wrinkles inside her wrinkles, but she still has style!
Sometimes getting older feels a little frightening. Then I sit myself down for a talk. “Honey, you cannot live in fear.” Have you ever done that? Given yourself advice, then sat there wondering whether you should take it?
My family has a history of longevity. My grandfather lived to ninety-three. My father is in his eighties. I may have a good set of genes. Perhaps I have another twenty years ahead of me.
Twenty years. What would I like to do with them? What would you do?
I have decided to fall in love again. Remember? After winter comes spring.
Do you remember being in love? You made time. You made an effort. Life felt colorful, busy, and vibrant. I want to bring that feeling back—to the people I love and the things I enjoy.
Maybe I can even teach my husband to be romantic!
We are probably not going to become grape juice again. But a good bottle of Merlot or Burgundy? That sounds promising.
I may still need two trips to the kitchen. But I can give life my full attention. It is time to be an all-timer again... just in a different way.
Cheers!
NOTICE WHAT WORKS
How the Humor Creates Connection
The speech begins with a familiar experience and ends with a hopeful choice. The laughter helps the speaker share a concern about aging without losing warmth. Each humorous moment serves that larger message.
Start with recognition
Walking into a room and forgetting why you are there gives listeners a situation they can picture. Choose details your audience can understand without a long explanation. Specific moments are easier to share than broad statements such as “Getting older is funny.”
Build a setup and a surprise
The setup leads listeners toward one expectation. The next line takes a small, believable turn. “Aging like fine wine” sounds complimentary. The husband’s warning about vinegar changes the direction. The short comment about his romantic nature lets the audience enjoy the contrast.
Let yourself be human
The speaker laughs at her own forgetfulness and her convenient choice of age. This invites listeners to laugh with her. Use an imperfection you feel comfortable sharing. Keep the tone affectionate toward yourself and the people in your story.
Give the funny line room
Place the surprising word or idea near the end of the sentence. Pause briefly before it when that helps build anticipation. Afterward, let listeners respond before you continue. You can smile without explaining why the line is funny.
Bring an earlier idea back
Returning to an earlier image is called a callback. The speech brings back spring, wine, and the extra trip to the kitchen. Their return gives the ending a sense of completion. Choose an image that also supports what you want listeners to remember.
Make the meaning clear
“All-timer” is playful language in this speech. Its meaning becomes clear in the ending: giving life full attention. Wordplay works best when listeners can follow it on the first hearing. Try your phrase aloud with a practice partner and ask what they understood.
The best humorous moments help listeners recognize something true about everyday life.
PRACTICE
Practice Your Own Humorous Story
Prepare a 3–5 minute personal story about a small misunderstanding, an unexpected answer, or an ordinary task that did not go as planned. Choose a moment you can share comfortably. Your goal is to help listeners recognize a piece of their own lives in yours.
1. Find your moment
What happened? Where were you? What did you want to do? Keep enough detail to make the scene clear, then move toward the moment that surprised you.
2. Find the unexpected turn
What did you expect, and what happened instead? Try a comparison, a brief exchange of dialogue, or a slightly exaggerated description. Keep the experience recognizable.
3. Give your story a reason
What did the moment help you notice? Perhaps you learned patience, accepted a limitation, or found a reason to try again. Let the ending grow naturally from the story.
4. Practice aloud
Mark a pause before or after your strongest humorous line. Use a change of voice for dialogue and a simple expression or gesture to help listeners see the moment. Rehearse with a partner, listen to their response, and adjust one part before trying again.
Tell your 3–5 minute story to a practice partner. Notice where they smile, laugh, or show recognition. Give those moments room before continuing.
REFLECT AND GROW
Reflection and Evaluation
Laughter is one kind of response. A smile, a nod, or a thoughtful look can also show connection. Ask your listeners what they recognized and what they remember.
For the speaker
For the listener
Your Next Step
During the coming week, notice one everyday moment that makes you smile. Write down what you expected and what actually happened. Tell it to someone, then listen to their response. Small observations can become stories that bring people closer.
CONNECTING THROUGH HUMOR COMPLETED
Connecting through Humor Completed
You have practiced noticing, shaping, and sharing a humorous moment. Keep your warmth. Give your listeners time. Let your own experience open the conversation.