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My Journey to Toastmasters. . .

By Tracey Rohrberg

I would like to share a little about myself, what I do for fun and
touch on a journey that led me here to Toastmasters. In May
Bill and I celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary. We have two
beautiful girls; Michelle 23 who just graduated from the University
of Oregon and Cassandra 20 who is currently attending Portland
Community College (PCC). We love that they are still living at
home and a part of our daily lives.

My favorite place to relax and regroup is at the beach. I love everything the coast
encompasses: beachcombing, lighthouses, wading in the ocean. I enjoy reflecting on my
family’s lives while watching the crashing waves. A trip to the beach fixes my world, even
when a situation can’t be fixed.

The most thrilling activity I’ve done is tandem skydiving twice. The first time was to
celebrate my 50th birthday. My first jump was a mixture of excitement and terror
intertwined. I had to remain calm as I saw Mt. Hood in the distance and the plane was
higher than the mountain. The following year my daughter wanted to skydive for her 18th
birthday, so I went again. This time was really fun and relaxing. I knew what to expect and
I truly enjoyed the ride. I plan on going again for my 60th birthday. The third time should
be pure joy.

My most rewarding activity is volunteering at the Oregon Humane Society near the
airport. I’m a Canine Kennel Buddy. I sit on the kennel floor and just love on these pups. I
stroke them, have eye contact and tell them “you’re so beautiful, your turn is coming for
adoption, just be yourself, the right family will love you”. This interaction helps them to
engage with a new potential family, while I reap the reward of receiving unconditional
love for 2 to 3 hours. I then watch the website to see who was adopted and celebrate this
little victory with them.

The journey that led me here started when I was let go from my job last October after
28 years. This truly was a soul searching and a heart wrenching season for me to work
through. I had a lot of time to reflect on my life and one thing I discovered was I lost my
voice and silenced myself at age 7. The event was the simple action of putting on skates
beside my little 5 year old brother. Tony had his skates on before I knew it, popped up
and took off across the street. He was hit by a car. I threw open our front door to tell my
dad what had happened. The key words here are “tell my dad”. I could not speak; only sob
uncontrollably as he grew angry wondering what was wrong. Between the sobs, I could

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