Brayden Harrington has some long practice ahead before he wins a State Interp medal. But Brayden has one heck of a speech coach: Joe Biden. And Coach Biden helped him make one heck of a speech last night: a two-minute address to the Democratic National Convention and to the United States of America:
Hi, my name is Brayden Harrington and I am 13 years old. And without Joe Biden I wouldn’t be talking to you today.
About a few months ago I met him in New Hampshire. He told me that we were members of the same club: we stutter. It was really amazing to hear that someone like me became Vice President.
He told me about a book of poems by Yeats he would read out loud to practice. He showed me how he marks his addresses to make them easier to say out loud. So I did the same thing today.
And now I’m here talking to you today about the future, about our future. My family often says, “When the world feels better,” before talking about something normal, like going to the movies.
We all want the world to feel better. We need the world to feel better. I’m just a regular kid, and in a short amount of time Joe Biden made me more confident about something that’s bothered me my whole life. Joe Biden cared.
Imagine what he could do for all of us. Kids like me are counting on you to elect someone we can all look up to, someone who cares, someone who will make our country and the world feel better. We’re counting on you to elect Joe Biden [Brayden Harrington, address to the Democratic National Convention, as transcribed by NBC10–Boston, 2020.08.20].
Brayden knew he’d make mistakes. He knew the whole country would see him make those mistakes. But he didn’t turn away. He didn’t quit. He had something important to say, and he by gum said it. Every word.
Don’t rush, says Coach Biden. Brayden’s already got me beat there.
And there’s no rush for any speech medals. For now, Brayden is focused on eighth grade… and maybe helping others by becoming a therapist.
Now help Brayden, and kids like him—and we’re all like him, because we all have flaws, burdens to bear, challenges to beat. “Elect someone we can all look up to, someone who cares”—
Someone who cares. Rewind the tape, listen again at 1:46, when Brayden coins the best slogan for the Biden campaign. Someone who cares. Listen to the emotion that sneaks out from behind a 13-year-old boy’s nerves and self-consciousness. Listen to the most important words of the week, spoken by a boy who is finding his voice thanks to Coach Biden.
Someone who cares.
* * *
A few hours after the speech, which he’d practiced with his sister ahead of time, Brayden told The Washington Post that he was still riding high on the emotions.
“I feel very energetic right now. I’m very happy that I got to give the speech,” he said. “I have trouble talking and that just makes me feel way more happy to be able to talk to the people who have a stutter.”
He said he hasn’t really spoken to Biden since their meeting, noting that the nominee “has things to do.” But when Brayden starts 8th grade next month, he said he’ll bring a new strength to the classroom thanks to Biden’s help.
“It gave me lots of confidence. It made me feel like I was noticed in the world when I talked to Joe Biden,” he said. “It made me feel like I felt the same thing that he felt. We felt the same fear. I just felt like I wasn’t the only person” [Tim Elfrink and Teo Armus, “A 13-Year-Old ‘Regular Kid’ from N.H. with a Stutter Gave a Must-Watch DNC Speech,” Washington Post, via Boston Globe, 2020.08.21].
I listened to his speech and it was outstanding. As you said Cory, he was very brave. Few things feel more wonderful, and more humbling, than making a positive difference in the life of another. It’s a beautiful thing.
It’s going to be fun to see what wonderful things he does with his life. 🙂
By contrast, the current occupant of the White House said Brayden’s speech was part of “the darkest and angriest and gloomiest convention in American history.” He said the Democrats who included Brayden in their convention “want to punish America and its citizens instead of holding them high.”
The current occupant of the White House is not listening to Brayden.
Biden and drumpf have afflictions. Biden stutters. drumpf slanders.
Powerful and moving.
The usual tRump toadies and apologists have been quiet here lately. I wonder why.