Speechless

On Monday, between classes, they came and asked me to show up for a speech contest on Tuesday night.  That means 2-30 minute round trip walks to campus in one day.  I arrived at 7:30 to hear 45 minutes of intros, comments, and musical talent numbers.  The speeches didn't begin until 8:15, and they were 30 of them!  Three minutes each and then I was instructed to ask a question at the end of every other speech.  The student then had one minute to reply.  That really kept me on my toes--coming up with a new question each time, and making sure I understood what they were saying.
Then at the conclusion of the speeches, they announced that Susan Taylor would say a few words.  I truly was "speechless" for a couple of minutes.  But I recovered, and expressed appreciation of being invited to participate.  It was pretty impressive to see how well these students spoke English, and the depth of their thoughts.  They really work so hard, both to learn English and in their other studies.
I didn't get home until nearly 11:30.  Fortunately, Tim came over and walked me safely home. The busses quit running at 11:00, so that wasn't even an option.  It was a lengthy, but rewarding experience.