※ 아래 스크립트는 발표자의 발표내용을 그대로 표기하였으므로 구어체 표현이 포함되어있고,
일부 문장은 문법적 오류가 포함될수 있는점 참고 부탁드립니다.
Good afternoon. Good afternoon. If you Google coronavirus, then scroll pass the news articles,
a graph comes up which represents the total global COVID-19 cases since January 2020.
When I first saw that graph, one word immediately popped up into my mind: fluctuations.
According to Oxford Dictionary, the definition of fluctuation is “changes that happen frequently
from one to another.” The etymological origin of 'fluctuation' comes from the Latin word 'fluere',
which means “to float.” At first, I just liked how it sounded. But through my meagre 20-odd years of life, that word, fluctuation, has taught me several things about myself, about others, and finally about life.
Now, I'm not sure about you, but I'm not an avid believer of the MBTI personality test.
However, there may be some truth to it. My MBTI type is ISTJ, otherwise known as the logistician. In other words, I am not a flexible person. When things don't go to plan, I get extremely anxious and then I get frustrated about the fact that I got anxious. However, the word fluctuation
has taught me that I shouldn't be so uptight about things, to relax a little, to laugh it off and
just go with the ‘fluere’. I'm not sure if you can tell, but as a chronically awkward person,
relationships, not just romantic ones, have always been a source of many sleepless nights for me. Recently, I met a friend from middle school and it was like meeting a completely different person. That initial spark, the feeling that we were going to be friends until the day we die was no longer
there. The close relationships with middle school and high school friends are just not what they
used to be. I reckon it will be the same with college friends once we all graduate and I can't read
the future, but I bet it will be the same for all stages of life. In those situations, I find comfort in
the word fluctuations. It's a reminder that even the most intimate relationships between family
and friends can fluctuate at any moment. It's a reminder that people change. And I change.
And that’s perfectly normal.
It's also a reminder that life itself is but a series of fluctuations, ups and downs, highs and lows.
From day one, we are on a roller coaster that we cannot get off of. For example, someday you
might bake the world's best chocolate chip cookies. Next thing you know, you've burnt your fingerprints off those same chocolate chip cookies. Someday, heck, you might win the lottery. Another,
you might get hit by lightning. Everything, whether it be small everyday events or life-changing
ones, fluctuates. Fluctuation is a reminder that when on a high, remember that this moment may not last forever. So just sit back and enjoy it while it lasts. Likewise, during a low, remember that
this moment is not the end, that the roller coaster will go back up someday.
You may remember that initial fear when the number of COVID-19 cases started to soar and the
relief when the numbers started inching back towards zero. But fluctuations are not something to be feared. Fluctuations, whether it be to the individual, in interpersonal relationships, or life itself, are natural. They are inevitable and that it's hubris to think that we can change that. What we can do is prepare in advance for the worst and enjoy the best while it lasts. And no matter the
circumstances, fluctuations are a reminder that, in the end, everything, everything will be OK.
Thank you for listening to my speech.