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only point and whisper, really only a whimpered word came out, Tony. At the scene, cars
were backed up, Tony had quit breathing prior to the ambulance’s arrival, but an off duty
fire fighter came running through the crowd and revived him. A month in a coma, a full
body cast, a rewired jaw and the possibility of seizures his whole life. This July he will be
celebrating his 51st birthday, not a single seizure and we are closer than ever. I lost my
voice, my self-confidence and my childhood that day. As this event was retold to family,
friends, neighbors and acquaintances this 7 year old sensitive child was so embarrassed,
not only that I could not stop it from happening, but knew I didn’t want this kind of
attention on me again. I took this accident to heart as part of my character.

Now, fast forwarding to my present day. I have worked through the skating event that
seemed to shape the way I interacted in groups my whole life, in silence. Early April my
unemployment ran out, but I made myself go to various job fairs. On April 28th I attended
a PCC job fair where I engaged with potential employers and passed others by. As we
were all making connections, a beautiful, smiling and warm woman approached me and
asked if I knew about Toastmasters. Ayesha told me of her personal ongoing journey and
gave me a flyer inviting me to the May Open House at Embracing Cultures. As she was
talking about this all women’s group, in my head I wondered if this might be the place to
help me find my voice, gain self-confidence and as an adult let go and relearn the art of
speaking in a group. This is my 5th time here. I’m not looking to be a competitive speaker
at Toastmasters, I’m just looking to speak with ease, feel comfortable presenting and gain
knowledge to handle being the center of attention. I know Toastmasters will help me
with these things and to be a better listener and communicator. All these skills will help
me at the new job I just accepted. Thank you for opening up a new world of opportunity
for me, finding my voice.

SAVE THE DATE - SEPTEMBER 26, 2015

Join us on 9/26/2015 for Celebrating Success! This will be an extremely
fun event featuring tall tales, fables, myths, and legends. If you can tell a
convincing tale, share adventures of derring-do, or bring a well-loved myth
or fable to life, we want to share the stage with you. Featured will be another
potluck extravaganza, “of the year” awards in recognition of members who
stepped up, stepped out, and helped keep the wheels of District 7 spinning,
as well as some well-spun yarns to keep the day lively and entertaining.

Watch for more information and your special Eventbrite invitation coming
soon!

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