Public speaking can cause fear due to common excuses and questions that arise, such as lacking a good topic or time to practice. On the day of an event, those fears are amplified as the time approaches, with physical symptoms like feeling dehydrated or the possibility of having a stroke. However, during the speech the speaker was able to get past initially being stuck on the first line by imagining only speaking to familiar people, sticking to the topic, and delivering the full speech. In the end, the speaker felt they survived the ordeal and now has more confidence and experience with public speaking, despite the fear still lingering deep down.