Ice Breaker Speech—Child of
the ‘70’s—Jacque Whaley
Remember the ‘70’s? Mood rings, bell bottoms, hiphuggers,
micromini skirts, macromae vests, platform shoes and moon boots?
Mister/Madam Toastmaster,
today I would like to share with you my experience of being an eceltic ‘70’s
child. I know when we give a speech, we
need to reel in our topics, but I had such a colorful childhood, you won’t get
the true effect of getting to know me if I don’t hit the highspots.
When I was born, I was to be
my father’s name sake: Jackie Sue. No
offense to any Jackie Sue’s out there, but thank goodness, my mother over ruled
my father and Jacqueline Lynnette McGuire is my birth name.
During the seventies, I
witnessed our nations 200th birthday. I recall singing “Yankee Doodle Dandy” with my cousins until we
were hoarse. It seems the Linton
Freedom Festival parade was bigger than Macy’s that year. My grandmother made my cousins and I what we
called Laura Ingels Wilder dresses.
They were long and we each had a matching apron and bonnet, we wore
these like a queen wears her crown.
I also remember my friends
getting Atari systems for birthday’s or Christmas. My parents never bought me one, come to think of it, maybe I
never asked for one. I still don’t
know how to play Pacman…(do kids today even know what pacman is?)
Earlier I described myself
as an eclectic 70’s child. I say that
because I was pretty much a tomboy, wearing bib overalls with a black and white
floppy brimmed hat (which my great-aunt had worn to the Kentucky Derby at some
point in time, I’m sure) and, playing with my calf, named Bo-Jo…Or chasing and
catching the baby pigs in our shed.
But, on the other hand, my mother hand sewed many pretty Sunday school
dresses for me, which I would proudly dawn every Sunday morning. I also participated on a clogging team,
which required that I wear make up, have my hair curled, wear nylon hose, a
krynalyn and ruffly square dance dresses.
So maybe when I say 70s
child, what you picture and what I was are two very different things. I did have a pair of moon boots that I wore
until I couldn’t squeeze my heel into them anymore, mom also allowed me to have
a mood ring, and a high school friend produced a horribly embarrassing picture
of me in bell bottoms at one point in time.
But, that’s about as “70’s” trendy as I got.
Moving into the 80’s and the
teenage years brought about new learning experiences for my parents and I.