Here Comes the Judge!
Fun morning! I was a judge at a Toastmasters contest. The contestants had all won previously in their own area division so this was the best of the best -- and they certainly lived up to that. I learn so much about public speaking and speech writing every time I watch/listen to a Toastmaster speak. Even though the speeches varied from one to another -- for example one contestant talked about what he learned from playing chess as a child, to another describing how he faced a bully to another recounting the tale of a lost dog... they were all inspiring and interesting. I'm not ready to sign up to compete in a contest anytime soon but I do feel better about tackling my next speech at a Toastmaster's meeting. And I feel like I have improved so much since I joined TM! I've gone from turning red and hyper-ventilating before a speech to actually enjoying myself when I speak in front of the group! A few years ago I never would have dreamed that such an accomplishment was even in the realm of possibility! I encourage everyone to stop in and visit a Toastmasters meeting. You don't have to speak and you don't even have to like toast -- it's just a fun way to meet new people and share stories. And isn't that why we are writers? Because we like to share our stories?