The Gift of Gab

BY: Sejin Paik, Korea International School


The moment we open our teensy weensy eyes after hatching from our mommies’ tummies, we have been assigned a major role in this world. While we lie in the delivery room full of other future successful newborns, we have been given various talents as a weapon to slash our way through the dangerous world of our competitors. Haven’t you ever wished you had amazing body lines like Angelina Jolie or had been the great great great great grandkid of Einstein? Or were you ever jealous of those with mega strong physical skills like Tiger Woods? Stop!
You, my friend, have been given the gift of gab, the ability to speak, and have nothing to be ashamed of.
Having the talent to speak is a wonderfully special gift. Not anyone can generate a speech or generate witty repartee. Remember those times when you talked your way out of trouble? Eh? We may have put ourselves into situations, but how many have we talked our way out of? Consider for example when you used your mom’s makeup for prom and accidentally spilt it. It was her favorite, and now you are officially dead. You can hear her foot steps coming nearer, and your heart is thumping. However, with the heart of a public speaker, you are generating every possible excuse. And you simply say, “Mother, this is unacceptable. The makeup case broke! You should sue the company!” or “ Mother, I discarded the makeup because I knew you were way too beautiful already.”
Or how about when you are stuck in a jail cell among dozens of terrorists? This is definitely not your happiest moment, and you have nothing else to do but talk your way out of it. You can use your Security Council or Human Rights knowledge to pacify the terrorists and escape. “Can I borrow your knife for a minute? I need to clip my nails.” Or “Killing, murdering, terrorizing? Where do I sign up?”
And don’t forget your hideous, community college graduate English teacher, who always whines at you for not turning in your Macbeth analysis. You simply tell her, “While reading the play, I found myself empathizing with Lady Macbeth, who would never kowtow with a commoner like yourself. So I decided to forgo my essay.”
These examples, although exaggerated, illustrate a point. The gift of Gab may seem small and sometimes go unnoticed;