By Paul Wood, District Director
Have you in your daily journey through life experienced that “ah ha” moment when you have the light go on in your head and you realise you have learnt something. As a somewhat seasoned Toastmaster of 38 years there have been several of those moments in my Toastmaster life.
The first of these occurred not long after attending my first club meeting. That very first visit to a club was made with a sense of fear yet excitement as I had done a little research into what Toastmasters was but it still did not prepare me for what I experienced. That first meeting I sat at the back of the room hoping not to be noticed but there was a friendly face that sat with me for the whole meeting. At the end people said hello and all welcomed me. However I decided not to go back as how could I give a speech like those I had witnessed, or answer a Table Topics question. I was the typical shy person afraid to open my mouth at meetings.
In my stupidity however I gave my phone number to the person next to me. No cell phones in those days only the good old rotary dial phones. A few weeks later I got a call to invite me to the next meeting and unable to find an excuse not to go, I found myself at the club meeting in the front row and not the back. When I was asked to do a Table Topics question I just wanted to disappear. Yet I got up and um and ah’d for 47 seconds, went red in the face and sat down. The polite clapping somehow gave me that Ah Ha moment that I could learn here, to overcome my shyness and maybe get a date with some the young ladies there, and so I decided then and there to join.
Since then I have had so many Ah Ha moments in the many aspects of Toastmasters and each one has been a great learning experience and a revelation to skills I never thought I possessed or knew how to use.
My time in Toastmasters has been one of great joy, wonderful time to meet fellow Toastmasters around the world and to make long lasting friendships. So do you have a Toastmasters Ah Ha moment? If yes share it with us or just me if you wish. I look forward to seeing many of you at the District 19 Conference in Cedar Rapids. Best wishes, Paul