Page 7 - October 2017 Voices
P. 7

My Inspiration: Emilie Taylor





       by James Wantz, DTM - Public Relations Manager







          Do you have someone that inspires you?  the early 2000’s. But then her world came
      Someone that motivates you to go beyond  crashing down. She lost her baby to Sudden
      what you are comfortable doing? Someone  Infant Death Syndrome. After that each and
      that makes that next step, you’ve been afraid  every day was difficult, if not downright
      to take, look easy? Someone that encourages,  impossible. She put one foot in front of the
      motivates, and assists? Well, I do!                    other—not with dogged determinism, but
          Her name is Emilie Taylor, our current  because that was all she could do.
      Club Growth Director. She was recently                     Only years later would I hear the details
      recognized by District 7 as the 2016-2017  of this time in her life—of the struggle and
      Toastmaster of the Year. And it is about time!  the despair.
      Her recognition was very deserving, but I’m                After being in New Horizons Toastmasters
      not going to talk about why she deserves an  for about a year, Emilie shared that
      award. Nope. I’m going to share with you why  gloom with us—the members of her new
      she inspires me. I believe that by sharing that  Toastmasters family. Up until that speech
      story you will come to understand why she  I only knew her through the humorous
      is this year’s Toastmaster of the Year.                anecdotes she told about her husband,
          I met Emilie some time ago—the exact  their house, and all the hilarious things that
      time is lost in the annals of  Toastmaster
      meetings of yore. She burst on the scene in
      a flash of glitter, smoke, and strobe lights.
      Loud arena rock music was playing as she
      strode purposely into the club followed by
      her numerous groupies – a flowing entou-
      rage of capable impresarios. She took the
      room by storm—an electric storm full of
      reverberating thunder and flashes of bril-
      liance. She left an indelible mark on that
      meeting and all the meetings that came after
      it. She was magnificent!
          At least that is how my memory sees it.
      Actually, the meeting was like any other
      meeting—functional and fun. Emilie was                 L to R: Emilie Taylo & Leanna Lindquist pinning ceremony 2017 TLI
      kind, courteous, and unassuming. It wasn’t
      until several meetings had passed that I  happened while repairing a hole in the roof.
      realized how much of a joy it was to have                  Emile was working on her Humorously
      Emilie attend our meetings. She exuded care  Speaking manual, and we all heard about the
      and concern—not as if it was something she  lighter side of her life. But in every speech
      was ‘supposed’ to do, but as if she actually  there was an edge of something deeper—
      cared and was concerned for those around  some darkness that seemed to lie just below
      her. She smiled, she hugged, and she hinted  the surface. I was intrigued.
      at deeper depths. . .and this intrigued me.                “Toastmasters saved my life,” Emilie
          Emilie had almost joined Toastmasters in  said in a recent speech about her struggle.
           L to R, John Rodke DTM & Emily Taylor, DTM

      VOLUME 4 ISSUE 4 OCTOBER, 2017                                                                           7
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