Learn to Speak to an Audience, at the Dentist’s
I have already mentioned my dentist, the linguist. I know you don’t want to hear dentists’ stories. But this story is different.
Today’s episode:
‘Hello, how are you! Please sit in the chair’ (I sit in the chair).
‘Let me see… Yes… Good…’ (He picks up his tools).
‘Open your mouth.’ (I open my mouth)
‘TELL ME, how do you say ‘prétentieux’ in English?’
Me: ‘…???…uuuuaaaahhh!!!’
And it goes on like this, every time. He uses me as some kind of silent dictionary. He’s always writing articles, talking to people, preparing conferences, and every appointment is a source of insightful, funny, intelligent anecdotes about the art of dentistry and new ceramics, and other matters, like cultural and human diversity.
Like this one.
He was to speak in China. The speaker before him left the room feeling quite… well… mad about the (non) response of the audience. 600 restless Chinese delegates were very busy speaking to their mobiles, chatting, etc. even as the speaker was making his presentation.
My dentist thought for a second. He is a man who likes to talk, and to be listened to, maybe because he is a dentist. No-one would think of talking back to him. Could anyone talk back anyway?
So he thought for a second, and then started talking about how people from different cultures are different, how they cut their food differently, etc. and then he went on with a trick and ended up with a pretty formula about everlasting friendship. All 600 delegates (and the interpreter, he added) were mesmerized.
I believe him. He has the gift of empathy. That makes him not just a good speaker, it makes him a good dentist too, which is fine with me.
