Somebody once told me it's like walking through life like this. You protect yourself from all the unexpected miseries or hurt that might show up. 有人曾告诉我，人生之旅就像这样护紧双臂。你得保护你自己，免于那所有可能出现的出人意料的痛苦或伤害。

But I try to walk through life like this. 但我会像这样展开双臂地迎向生活。

And yes, that means catching all of those miseries and hurt, but it also means that when beautiful, amazing things just fall out of the sky, I'm ready to catch them. 是的，这意味着接住所有这些痛苦和伤害，但同时也意味当那些美好，惊喜的事情从空中坠落，我准备好要接住它们。

I use spoken word to help my students rediscover wonder, to fight their instincts to be cool and unfazed and, 我用口语诗帮助我的学生重新发现奇迹，与他们自身本能要扮酷和无动于衷做挑战，

instead, actively pursue being engaged with what goes on around them, so that they can reinterpret and create something from it. 反而代之的是他们积极追寻，参与其中与他们周围打成一片儿，以致于他们能从日常中重新解读或者创作些诗。

It's not that I think that spoken-word poetry is the ideal art form. I'm always trying to find the best way to tell each story. 这并不是说我认为口语诗就是理想的艺术形式。我常试着找到更好方式来讲不同的故事。

I write musicals; I make short films alongside my poems. But I teach spoken-word poetry because it's accessible. 我写音乐剧；伴随我的诗歌我制作短片。但我传授口语诗，因为它是易懂的。

Not everyone can read music or owns a camera, but everyone can communicate in some way, and everyone has stories that the rest of us can learn from. 并不是每个人能读懂音乐，或者拥有一台照相机，但每个人可以用某种方式来交流，每个人都有故事，我们其他人都可以借鉴学习。

Plus, spoken-word poetry allows for immediate connection. 并且，口语诗会有即时互动联系。

It's not uncommon to feel like you're alone or that nobody understands you, 人们感到他们孤独，或者没人理解他们，这是司空见惯的，

but spoken word teaches that if you have the ability to express yourself and the courage to present those stories and opinions, 但口语诗传授给他们，如果你有能力表达你自己，有勇气展示些故事和观点，

you could be rewarded with a room full of your peers, or your community, who will listen. 你可以得到那些聆听你讲的满屋子同伴们，或者诗社团的鼓励。

And maybe even a giant girl in a hoodie who will connect with what you've shared. 甚至有一个连帽衫的高大女孩，会和你分享的连为一体。

And that is an amazing realization to have, especially when you're 14. 这种感同身受是不可思议的，特别当你是14岁时。

Plus, now with YouTube, that connection's not even limited to the room we're in. 另外，现在有了YouTube，人们之间联系不再受限于我们所处空间。

I'm so lucky that there's this archive of performances that I can share with my students. 我如此有幸能有这演讲的存档视频，这样我能和我学生分享了。

It allows for even more opportunities for them to find a poet or a poem that they connect to. 它提供了甚至更多机遇，让人们在人与人联系中发现一个诗人，或者一首诗。