Page 13 - Voices! - September 2015

It is not the number of falls that matters. What matters most is the number of times you get back up. I believe
that we set at our “Loom of Life” each day, weaving the texture, the hue, the color, the design of our day. One
day that loom will be closed and the fabric of our lives will be held up for examination. Is your loom producing
the pattern or the design; the picture of your life that you want it to? JOIN A TOASTMASTERS CLUB!!!
I’m also being a bit selfish----having Parkinson’s, many of the things I use in a TM program have diminished,
such as: weaker voice, mixing of words, slurring, stooped posture, gestures (voice & physical), memorization,
outlining, thinking on your feet, socialization, competition, organization of thought, listening skills, using
visual aids, ---a chance to come home again.
The experiences I have had, the knowledge I have gained, can still be useful in an advisory role in this new club
(referencing the King City Toastmasters failed start-Ed.). That is part of why I’m interested in a return.
Another advantage is that maybe my path will be attractive to others. Together, we can perhaps join to assuage
the effects of such diseases as Parkinson’s in our lives.”
(Chuck rejoined Toastmasters in 2013 to act in an advisory role for club members while rejuvenating his TM skills after
being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2001. I met him during our charter attempt of King City Toastmasters.
Despite his medical challenges, he always had a cheery disposition and a “can do” attitude. The experiences he
shared were always fascinating and memorable.-Editor)

Volume 2 Issue 3 - SEPT 2015 13