Thinking about all the possible ways of getting over my negative experiences, I thought of“ properly” joining the Gavel Club. I have to confess of being selfish because I only did this to forget certain episodes of my life. To be frank, I was warmly welcomed to the club by all the Gaveliers. The time spent with them was never a waste and I never felt abandoned or ignored. I never confessed my hard times to anyone of them( except to two or three), since I did not want to be pitied. I never got any special attention or flattery. I was respected for who I am. I saw how people could be extremely kind to others, from how they treated their fellow Gaveliers. Simple things like,“ text me when you are home” and“ it’ s already dark, so go home safe” showed their togetherness and I understood that this was where I belonged.
I learnt a lot of things attending Gavel meetings. It is where lots of ideas are shared and all opinions and views of the speakers are respected. I understood the hardships, difficulties and challenges faced by others. Sometimes I realized that the things which some had to undergo were incomparable with my own experiences.
It was Gavel which encouraged me to look on the brighter side of life. The speeches given at the meetings were life lessons.
The themed meetings, annual trips, workshops and other programs encouraged rapport among fellow Gaveliers. I got the opportunity of making friends with Gaveliers of other Gavel clubs in Sri Lanka as well. Working for them and with them moulds our personality and other leadership skills.
“ Gavel is where you can make mistakes. No one is going to judge you”. This is one beautiful line which escapes the lips of almost all the speech evaluators in Gavel. This is one of the principle reasons why I adore Gavel. Gavel appreciates your positive points and advises you on your weak points without criticizing them.
Gavel is a place where many stories are unraveled and both happiness and sadness are shared. Sometimes I secretly start tearing up when I listen to certain emotional speeches made by Gaveliers, and I am sure that many secretly cry listening to them. Trust me, no one is going to pass rude comments after seeing someone’ s weak aspects.
So, is Gavel only about public speaking?
It has only been a few months since I joined Gavel but I feel about Gavel in this special way. It has now become a part of me, which gives me a lot of memories and opportunities. The friendship and the bond shared among the fellow Gaveliers, the experiences obtained, the obstacles faced and most of all, the contentment in being a Gavelier cannot be purchased at any cost. We stay strong believing and having faith in each other.
“ Even those who are gone Are with us as we go on Your journey has only begun Tears of pain tears of joy One thing nothing can destroy Is our pride deep inside we are one”
-Lion King; Zimba to Kiara-
Gavelier NETHMINI WIJESINGHE
Faculty of Humanities
THE WORLD SPIRIT
One morning while I was waiting for the daily train to Kelaniya, I had a nagging feeling that I should take the train that arrives before my usual train. Somewhere deep inside me, I felt that my usual train will not arrive that day. Yet without giving it much thought I gave up the new idea since I noticed an interesting post on Facebook. It said,
“ First love teaches us what love is Last love teaches us what life is Well, the entire life is full of lessons”
All of a sudden, a cracked, hoarse voice announced that my usual train would not arrive due to a technical problem. The previous train had left already. I was too late. To my surprise, I was shocked not because of that train, but because I could not understand the hint I got from the World Spirit earlier. If I had listened to it, I would not have faced this trouble.
The famous writer Paulo Coelho writes in his novel Alchemist that World Spirit helps the people who listen to it. When you listen to your inner voice and
master this art, you subconsciously begin to listen to the World Spirit. The World Spirit helps an individual to achieve his goal because listening to the World Spirit means recognizing your potentials and recognizing the ways in which you can polish them. Coming to the University of Kelaniya was one of the results of me listening to the World Spirit; my inner voice.
I like to define university as an inspirational book, and Gavel as the best chapter in it. Gavel is where I understood the practical use of the phrase‘ speech is silver and silence is golden.’ The way Gaveliers listen to each other amazed me and it still does. The way Gaveliers believe in each other and the way Gaveliers cooperate and encourage others, touched my heart. Before speaking, you might feel shy, then stupid, nervous and sometimes unimportant. But Gavel will be there even to listen to your silence, and that’ s something unique. When I was a kid I used to listen to the speeches of people who rocked the stage. They made me dream of addressing a crowd that would listen to me in the same way. But I never imagined the University of Kelaniya Gavel Club to be the hint of the World Spirit
50 BEST SPEAKER MAGAZINE 2017