324 INTRODUCTORY SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
My Life from Toe to Head
1 Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Allie, and today I’m here to introduce you to me
and my life, from toe to head—starting with the toes.
2 I have ten of them. In July 1985, my parents gave birth to a happy, healthy, blue–eyed girl
5 My height has taught me a lot. For a while, I was self–conscious and I thought I stuck out
and was different from everyone else. But then I learned to love my height, the attention that I
got, and the fact that I was unique. And my height has taught me to be comfortable with myself
and my appearance.
6 Finally, moving up to the head—the most important part. I have a good head on my
MY LIFE FROM TOE TO HEAD 325
My Life from Toe to Head
Commentary
Creative, carefully developed, and clearly organized, “My Life From Toe to Head” exemplifies the most
important aspects of a speech of self-introduction. Its central theme is how the speaker’s height has influ-
enced her character and outlook. Here is a synopsis.
Specific Purpose: To introduce myself to the audience by explaining how my height has influenced my
perspective on life.
above average height. Paragraph 4 reveals the interesting fact that both her parents are extreme-
ly tall, while paragraph 5 explains how the speaker’s height has taught her to be self–confident
and to appreciate her appearance. Paragraph 6 brings the speaker to her head—“the most im-
portant part.” She discusses her experience working at a beauty salon and what it taught her
about interpersonal relationships. Although the use of spatial organization is unusual for an intro-