A day at The Loudspeakers

24th February 2018, this day would never be forgotten by me. Thanks to Abhijeet, the founder of The LoudSpeakers, who registered a place for me. It is an organisation which forms meetups on weekends with 15 strangers who are given the free will to speak in any language, on any topic. Anyone can even recite poems, snippets or perform stand-up comedy. The anonymous feedback system through chits from the members is nonetheless unique but also creative and positive.


Even with my talkative and jolly self, I find it hard to converse with any new person which doesn't happen without stuttering, negligible eye-contact,  rambling without any construct opinion and scorning myself as a bonus. So, I figured out I need to improve my speaking capability because I find it hard to place and voice my opinions in front of people. Moreover, my curiosity wasn't letting me sit idly and do nothing to improve my whole self. I understood that I need to continuously move out of the comfort zone for my betterment.

"Kehte hain agar kisi chiz ko dil se chaho … to poori kainath use tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai" seems to fit perfectly on me in this particular situation. Firstly, the meet was free of cost and the "risks" which are omnipresent for females in places like Delhi. It was my first time where I would be speaking in front of strangers and was more than terrified of what rubbish would come from my mouth. So, I took a leap a faith and the experience was overwhelmingly good. I can still feel the dopamine rush in my brain which is going like zoop-zap-zoop-zoop-zooom.

The variety of the people, their ideas, what they've done with their lives, their insecurities and moreover their frankness left me awestruck and filled me up with the hope that "Doers are still present and India can be good if we try harder". The topics discussed were:

Schizophrenia, It's more complicated than the spelling by Monica - the titilatting story which made all of the members shook and hinged to the story. We were growing anxious to know more with our eyes wide open. Our Monica is one hell of a storyteller, gosh! I would never forget the shrills down my spine while listening to her. "Now, she is happy" was the best part.

When are we going to ask the right questions by Abhijeet Jain - The need to ask questions, the importance of it and to ask them at right time was nicely put in front of us. The way he completed the speech even with all the difficulties was tremendously encouraging.  "We have to ask right questions at the right time. Wrong questions at the wrong time will not help us" was the best part.

Story of a Commerce Student by Adithya - This little fellow have done whatever his heart has led to and that is something which is rarely seen. It was his courage and insistence which made him so versatile. His confidence was overflowing through his words. "If I, a commerce student can achieve so much then you can also do it" was the best part

How we lie to ourselves by Wasim - People often talk about aspirations and dreams but it takes a real courage to talk about the dark sides present in you exposing them to the light. This man has done exactly the same and also created a beautiful comfortable space for other members to pour our heart out too. "I lied... and I know it is wrong"  was the best part.

The need to be Vulnerable by Arundhati - This name looks familiar... Oh it's me! Such a dumbo I am.. Uff. Well, since, I am scorned by every person in my life on the fact I expose myself too much to other people and should remain guarded, I decided to talk about it. It was actually a therapy session for me and I felt calm at the end. "Everyone should be vulnerable" was the best part. *winks*

Meditation: as I know it by Mayur - This man has more to him than what he seems to be. All of us avoid meditation but he made it look simple just the way it is actually. "Just breathe... there's nothing else" was the best part.

Why I take pride in being a Loser by Sumit - Again a fantastic speech which depicts the emotions everyone experiences and takes guts to open your wounds to people who barely know you. I want to give a salute through words to him because even with many failures, he still has confident smile with blinking eyes dreaming big things. Kudos to such spirit. "Everyone thinks like that.. I am proud to be a loser because I have at least tried to do somethimg with myself and my life" "We need to shape the future of India when they are at tender age"  was the best part.

Experiments of Animals by Amir - An interesting topic on which he shed light, conveying us the thought that animals are lives which have the right to live just as we have. His persistence to speak against all the odds were commendable. "We shouldn't harm animals for our selfish needs" was the best part

Emotional intelligence by Akash - This was a new thing for me and I was eager to learn more about it. The fact that it is something that we can work upon and make it better inspired me the most. "Emotional intelligence is a requirement for a healthy state of my mind" was the best part.

A beautiful poem by Abhijeet Chauhan about the hardships of struggling, why it is important to struggle no matter what instigated all of the mebers to work harder in our lives more

Decoding Corruption by Shivam Malik -  The fact that our government is still now stigmatised with corruption cannot be stressed more. Anything related to politics are avoided for discussion because we feel powerless and we can't think of a way to make it better. However, it was great speech which inspired us to be good citizens come whatever may. "We shouldn't entertain corruption at any level because once we allow it, it eventually would grow to cause problems" was the best part.

All I learned today by Ansh - To me it was a clever move to make. Anyway, I was more than pleased by the way he concluded. It touched my heart when he pin-pointed the things he will take from the meet ; also, when he passed a warm feeling by saying "he has returned back to his family"
                                                   
I went home getting addicted to The LoudSpeakers and I hope to attend many more meetups. From my heart, I want this platform to get the recognition it deserves to get and is worthy in every way. It is an organisation which helps people irrespective of background, gender and status. I am proud to be a part of it which is changing the picture bit by bit without any selfish needs, any kind of crooked tactics and only with the pure intention to make the world a better place with better people in it.