Poem: You're Not Trying Hard Enough - Lessons from "The King's Speech"

 Lessons from “The King’s Speech”

My husband and I saw "The King’s Speech" last night along with a packed theater of folks who, like us, were late to join this bandwagon.  The movie has been showing in Columbus for over a month and still is packing theaters here.  So nice to consider how word of mouth, award nominations and great acting can create this kind of stir for a movie that has no sex scenes, no violence and only a comical use of four letter words.  I came away from the movie inspired, uplifted and contemplating the lessons one might take away from this tale of a king with a painful stutter. 

His whole life he dealt with teasing and people giving him advice on how to ‘get over’ his problem.  I started thinking how quick we are to give simplistic advice for others people’s personal problems.  Until we have walked in their shoes, we best not think we have an easy answer.

You’re Not Trying Hard Enough

Step up to the microphone,

Breathe deeply,

Relax,

Concentrate,

Focus,

Speak with control,

You’re not trying hard enough,

To get over your stutter,

Snap out of depression,

Quit cigarettes,

Give up the booze,

Get an A in Math,

Lose all that weight,

How hard can it be?

Let me give you advice,

A few easy steps,

You’ll be fine in no time,

You’re not trying hard enough,

I’ll say it again,

You’re not trying hard enough,

How do I know?

‘Cause people who stutter

And stammer through life

With problems and worries

 And sadness and strife

Clearly need someone to straighten them out,

Step up to the microphone,

Breathe deeply,

Relax,

How hard can it be?