In this activity, you will write a short memoir of your own based on a personal experience. part a recall a recent experience that involved at least one other person you know well. write a two-page (or 500-word) memoir about this experience. be sure to include many details, use descriptive language, and incorporate all the characteristics of a memoir. you should also make inferences and draw conclusions about your experience.

When I was little my parents took my siblings and I to Virginia to visit some of her college friends. They had kids as well meaning that we'd be spending quite a lot of time with them while our parents caught up on their lives. We decided to go on a hike and got lost somehow. None of the trees look families to the five of us and we had no phones or source of communication to call our parents. We wandered for a while twisting and turning through farmland. Eventually we saw their house and had to help the younger kids scale the steep slope. It was kind of terrifying for us but it ended okay.

You can add bits to this to make it longer.

each year on this day, i make it a point to listen to dr. martin luther king jr.’s great “i have a dream” speech. it’s electrifying every single time.

the content of dr. king’s speech, his inspiring presence, and the moment in history all came together to make the iconic “i have a dream” speech the defining moment of the american civil rights movement. but there are several other reasons why this speech, delivered over 50 years ago, remains an example of one of the best speeches in american history.

since part of my job is to people become better presenters, i’ve noticed several techniques that we can all learn from and be inspired by in this magnificent speech.

it’s anchored in a powerful related location

in most cases, you can’t handpick the spot to give a presentation, as mlk did for supreme symbolic effect when he stood on the steps of the lincoln memorial and echoed the opening words of the gettysburg address (“five score years ago . . ). but you absolutely can amplify your message by adapting it to your setting and location.