Ramona J. Smith: Still Standing
Still Standing: Ramona J. Smith
Life will sometimes feel like a fight. The punches, jabs and hooks will come in the form of challenges, obstacles and failures.
Yet, if you stay in the ring and learn from those past fights, at the end of each round you'll be still standing.
Mr Contest Chair, fellow fighters, can you think of a time when life tried to knock you down? Who was your toughest opponent? Most often our most challenging opponents is ourselves.
Round 1 – college I dropped out of college – not one, not two, not three, but four times. I told myself: " College isn't for me" , and I would never go back.
Round 2 - marriage. I married my soulmate. The love of my life. My best friend. And he was fine too.
We were married for eight long, beautiful, amazing. . . months. You heard right – months, not years.
It was like immediately after we said " I do" , the heavy weight champion came in and delivered an electrifying knockout blow to our vows – boom! Divorced.
Round 3 Speaking! In 2015, I competed for the first time in the international speech contest. I won at the club level! I won at the area level! I won at the division level! Baby, district level was on the way!