Back in Toastmasters

My official reason for returning in Toastmasters was this... in the past, when Toastmaster friends would ask me if and when I would return, I would be non-commital. I had several reasons, but the main one I stuck to was, I'd focus on family first -and help get my kids through college.

By this time, during the pandemic, both Bryce and Bernice did not just graduate - they had found jobs too! The pandemic just forced them, like everyone else, to work from home. Set things up that they could work and communicate remotely. Suddenly, Zoom was the paltform to learn and use by everyone who wanted to keep in touch. No one could go out of their homes, as it was considered a health risk. COVID 19 was no laughing matter - some people who got it, never recovered. But what was perplexing was that others who seemingly got it did not even show signs of getting sick. Unfortunately, this still made them carriers.

I bring this up because this was the type of environment I found myself in. We were all stuck at home - Barbie and the kids had work, and I, being a corporate trainer, suddenly had no work coming my way once again. It would be a gross understatement to say I had a lot of time on my hands. We were all under one roof, but the three were glued to their laptops doing what they could, work-wise. Me? I was twiddling my thumbs.

This was when JJ Letargo asked me if I wanted to go back into Toastmasters. She pointed out that my reason for staying away has come and gone (kids in school), and I had nothign to do at home anyway. This would afford me some relaxation from the stress of all the worries that a COVID world offered. She said I did not even need to get out of the house, as most meetings were now happening online via Zoom. This was the new normal I stepped into.

The technical aspect of navigating through Zoom took some getting used to, but the basic premises around the club meetings sstayed the same - table topics, prepared speeches, evaluations. It's just that they were being viewed in small screens lined up left to right, making several rows, depeding on how many Toastmasters were 'on call' in the meeting.

This was where I heard Toastmasters talk about their COVID experiences, of the struggle, the worry, and the pain of lost loved ones... yes, it was a downer, but it was a shared environment of pain, of loss... but it was also a story of determination; of grit; of coping; and of caring for fellow members. I witnessed and experiences the camaraderie and sharing of compassion, with messages of comfort, and a collective prayer of hope... and I thought, hey... this was cathartic. In the middle of this darkness, Toastmasters were helping each other with each positive feedback. If only because of this, it felt good to be back. I found a new place where I could be both helpful and get my upliftment... even if it was just for tow hours, from the pervasive darkness that was a COVID world.

Pretty soon, other old friends learned of my being a regular at SETSI and Friends Toastmasters, and invited me to join a meeting in Diamond (my old home club), where I saw old familair faces, but also a lot of new ones. Some I knew as a new member back then, now a seasoned leader. It felt good to attend Diamond as well. But I stayed a guest, to be called to help once in a while, as I focused learning the new system of Pathways and restated my journey as a Toastmaster.

I was finally, officially back in Toastmasters.