<B>By Deepa BHOOKHUN</B>

I hate to be patronizing (honestly) but I absolutely need to share something with you. And in truth (for once) this column seeks to be helpful to those of you who are regularly engaged in public speaking. This comes from the heart from a journalist to those she regularly has the unfortunate privilege to sit and listen to, often for an inordinate amount of time.

Not that I?m blowing our own trumpets but journalists deserve a prize for regularly sitting through lengthy, boring and self congratulating speeches usually made by politicians and so called important people, whenever they get a chance to talk.

And please don?t think I am saying this because I am lazy and I don?t like taking notes (I don?t but that?s besides the point). The point is people tend to think when they are preparing their speeches that the longer they talk, the more of an impact they will make.

Wrong, wrong, wrong! The truth is the shorter and more concise a speech is, the more pertinent it is. After all scientific research has proved that the human brain will only retain so much from a speech; an intelligent speaker, in that case, would make the most of that limited time to pass his message, huh?

Wrong again. This is why I fail to understand why the supposedly intelligent people (they must be, mustn?t they, seeing that they have been asked to make a discourse) who are called upon to speak at public functions or at the National Assembly, have this obsession about keeping their speeches as prolonged as possible.

At the end of the day, a speech is just like a newspaper article; one article, one message. Likewise (not that I am an expert on speeches but I am just putting my journalistic experience to altruistic use), a speech needs to have only one message. If the speaker wants to make an impact, that is.

Then why in heaven?s name do some people feel like they have to go on and on for hours on end when they are handed a microphone? I have spent a lot of time thinking about this and I have come to one conclusion; they just love the sound of their own voice.

I suppose that?s fair enough if you have a big ego. But guys ?and girls- (even though women tend to be more psychologically acute regarding speeches), pander to your ego all you want but think about what people are thinking while they?re listening to you as you are entertaining yourself.

If only you knew what people thought of long speeches, you would definitely keep it short. But on a more serious note; it?s not just about what people think; It?s about you guys- there is no point in wasting people?s time just for the pleasure of talking- they?ll forget about it the next day anyway. It?s about the message. Not about you.

So be clever and keep it short! Oh and the added bonus is ? journalists will love you for it!