Many pity poor public speakers; some even forgive them

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.

- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

The kitchen table complaint du jour was my wife's distaste of public speaking, a task she thought would be required at work this week.

You know what she means. Most of us are more than a little reluctant to stand before a group - particularly a group of strangers - and try to make a point.

We're all afraid we will say something wrong.

For years I thought the worst public speaking mistake I'd ever seen was Jimmy Carter's enthusiastic Democratic National Convention reference to former Vice President Hubert Horatio Humphrey as "Hubert Horatio Hornblower."

But now I've come across a new one.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported last week that Tony Harris - a CNN anchor - was introducing former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young in a program at the Atlanta History Center.

Mr. Harris gave a glowing recap of the good works of Mr. Young, a former UN ambassador and civil rights leader, and even praised his recent remarks at the funeral of Coretta Scott King.

The crowd suddenly went quiet ...

And that's because Mrs. King, although in poor health and not as visible as in the past, was by all accounts still very much alive.

Proving ever the gentleman, Mr. Young quickly took to the microphone and explained to the stunned crowd that Mr. Harris had probably meant to praise his remarks at the recent funeral of Rosa Parks, another civil rights pioneer.

May we all be so gracious as Andrew Young, when given the chance.

And may we all be forgiving when one of our own stands before a group and says the wrong thing.

l

TODAY'S JOKE: Here's one shared by Everett Fernandez.

During training exercises, the lieutenant who was driving down a muddy back road encountered another car stuck in the mud with a red-faced colonel at the wheel.

"Your jeep stuck, sir?" asked the lieutenant as he pulled alongside.

"Nope," replied the colonel, coming over and handing him the keys, "Yours is."