Page 22 - January 2020

PERSPECTIVES

The E.N.D. is Near!

Paul Fanning, DTM

January has always been a month for reflection— message of the beginning of the apocalypse. But
reflection about the past and reflection of the there he stood, brown robe, sandals, wispy hair
future. This month has not been an exception to and scraggly beard proudly bearing his portage

my rule as I have looked back upon that which in sacred silence as if we KNEW what it meant.
has influenced certain decisions (and even not Me—a high school student—enjoyed the “adult”
making a decision or two) in my life and career carnival atmosphere of plazas and forum of the
of service. To put it into simple terms that Clint campus.

Eastwood would have understood “the Good, the Remembering those halcyon days brought
Bad and the Ugly.” What caused me to choose my attention back to the present-and the future
that path, or seek this direction and did I make of 2020. I looked at my 2019-2020 Toastmasters
a mistake by limiting myself in one degree or International Program Year calendar and

another? It was the peering into the historical realized to my horror that indeed, the end is near!
that I began to glimpse the foreordained future We’ve barely got six months to go and June 30th
for this year, 2020. Fellow Toastmasters, the will be upon us in all its cataclysmic mayhem.
E.N.D. is near! I’ve been known to be dramatic at times, but

Berkeley in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s was it truly is the E.N.D.! Aha-you’ve noticed that
a very interesting place to visit. The University I added dots between the letters. Well done,
of California Berkeley was the hotbed of radical Grasshopper. E.N.D. stands for EDUCATION
ideas, revolutionary thought, demonstrations (AWARD) NULLIFICATION DAY.

against—well just about everything—and of To those of you who joined after September
course the proclamation of peace and the love 2018, this will mean nothing to you as you have
culture. You did have to be careful not to engage not had the option(s) of Pathways, Traditional
with the Moonies or the Jim Jones People’s Education Awards or a combination of both.

Temple crowd. One could wander around for You may wish to continue reading-or offer
hours on campus and observe different groups to be emotional supporters for those of the
proclaiming their viewpoints. You wouldn’t be “old” or “traditional” education awards like the
disappointed to see someone roving around in competent communicator (CC) award or the

brown sack cloth with a huge sign saying THE competent leader award (CL) that some of your
END IS NEAR! PREPARE FOR THY DOOM! or fellow Toastmasters earned and achieved. The
similar words of prophecy and gloom. If it wasn’t actual awards for this DTM “path” will cease
the war, the bomb or the Man, it was the general to be awarded come July 1, 2020 and if the

22 ONE COMMUNITY