Yesterday a person called the Rush Limbaugh program exuding enthusiasm over Limbaugh's 2009 speech to CPAC, a speech jokingly referred to as "Rush's first speech to the nation." What caught my attention was Limbaugh saying that he doesn't (can't) prepare speeches. He said to the caller: (my emphases)
You know, something interesting? We're driving into town. You know, Kathryn's with me in the back of the car being driven into town and I had no idea what I was gonna talk about. I never do. (chuckles). This is why I really don't like doing speeches 'cause I never plan them. I don't even outline them in my head. I always wait because I know sometime right before I'm gonna start, I'm gonna get some inspiration. Some giant spark is gonna be ignited, and driving into town is when I had the idea. I looked at Kathryn and I said, "You realize what this is? This is my first address to the nation," and we started laughing about that. So that's what I used as the foundation for the whole thing, and that gave me my mind-set about what the speech was.
He goes on:
"Okay, here's an address to the nation. I'm addressing the nation at this point in time about this," and that's what unlocked the deep, dark secrets of knowledge in my mind as to what I wanted to talk about. I'm sweating. I'm driving into town and I don't know what I'm gonna talk about. I cannot... I do not have the ability, talent, or whatever. I cannot sit here and write a speech that I'm gonna give tomorrow night, next weekend or whatever. I just can't do it. When I sit down to write, my brain freezes. I lose half my knowledge, or my ability to recall half my knowledge. I lose half my vocabulary. I sit there. The first error I make on the typewriter or computer keyboard, I stop to correct it and train of thought's gone. So... (sigh) I hope and pray every time I'm supposed to do a speech that I get that spark. I do. It's touch and go. I'll betcha I lose 15 pounds in the one hour before a speech in nervous energy 'cause I don't know what I'm gonna talk about. I'm sitting there waiting for the spark, and I got that one driving in about 45 minutes before I was to give it.
Me: I find this revelation remarkable. For some of us who find speech writing difficult, Limbaugh's inability to prepare a speech may come as comforting news. But alas, since we probably never receive last-minute "inspiration" like Rush, we had better stick to preparing our talks, however difficult it may be. Click here for YouTube's 11 segments of Limbaugh's 2009 CPAC speech.