Page 35 - 2017.May Voices

time to give up and call it a day?” His answer was treasure to be cherished. Let’s make sure we are
uncharacteristically SHORT and a bit heated. more personally connected to them and take
“Sweetheart, it’s NEVER time to give up!” ….and every opportunity to POWER DOWN these
he HUNG up- he disconnected the call. I was so weapons of mass distraction so we can connect
angry in the moment. I felt as if he had sided with with them here on this earth while we have the
my husband, like he disconnected with me- but chance. Won’t you take a moment. . . if you still
did he? Or, did he disconnect my thoughts of can, and Call Your Dad?
giving up on my marriage and really CONNECT Cheri Perry joined Toastmasters in 2000.
with the fact that sometimes you have to say no She s a member of Totem Pole Club in Vancouver,
to the thoughts that don’t serve you? Washington. This year she is serving as VP Public
Technology is an amazing thing. Our phones Relations.
have the power to connect but they also wield
their power to disconnect more often than we
might care to admit. There is no amount of
technology that can take the place of human
interaction. No device SMART enough to let CUPCAKE
a child or family member know how impor-
tant they are to you. No text message written
of despair and no APP wise enough to help you UPDATE
expertly enough to lift someone out of the pit

HANG UP on those ideas and thoughts that do by Dawnette Hale, ACS, ALB
not serve you. Finally, there is no WIFI connec-
tion STRONG enough to connect to loved ones Rose City Toasters is currently at 10
who have passed on. members and 7 DCP Goals. David Johnston
I remember the last call with my Father; it and I joined in May ~ David received his
went something like this: “Hi Dad! How are you cupcakes at the Spring District 7 Conference.
feeling? How did your voice therapy go?” My We are working with six people who are
father had been undergoing voice therapy for a interested in joining the Club. Two at CRCI,
few weeks prior to this phone call and if you ever Two new Toastmasters, and two from other
met my Dad, you would know how much the Clubs!!! If we can help them join, we would
loss of his beautiful, uplifting and commanding be at 16 members. We are still short of
VOICE rocked his world. This day was a little Distinguishing members (or Cupcakers as I
different. “I’m doing fine Sweetheart”, he said
in a very scratchy voice. Then he said my name like to call them). Our target is 18.
in a way only my Father could say it, “I love you Could you see yourself helping? The Club
Cheri”, it was as clear as a bell and I knew that is very interested in growing their skills and
everything was going to be fine! My father was would be very appreciative of members from
finally on the mend. We ended the call and outside. Please contact me at Dawnette.hale@
everything seemed right in the world until the gmail.com to join.
following morning when my Mother made the
most difficult phone call of her life. She called
to let me know that my Dad was gone. The final
disconnect is the most brutal.
We are all more digitally connected than ever
before but if we don’t figure out how to master
the POWER button, we will miss the opportu-
nities that genuine, eye to eye & heart to heart
contact can provide in our lives. We will miss
the opportunity to speak words of wisdom and
encouragement into our friends and family
because time waits for no one.
The precious gift of friends and family is a

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 11 MAY, 2017 35