Toastmaster Icebreaker - Me, my likes and dislikes

I mentioned a while ago going to Toastmasters. I have now joined and did my first planned speech yesteday. The word of the day was Segue which I did manage to incorporate.

There was a moment just before that I was a bit tempted to do a runner - I popped to the loo and my evaluator looked quite worried when I came back - I think he thought I wasn't coming back.

Title - Me, my likes and dislikes

“A good speech should be like a woman's skirt; long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest.” 

― Winston S. Churchill

Mr Toastmaster, fellow toastmasters and guests (I managed to miss this bit out, having been so excited I managed to remember my quote above - it just would not stick in my mind through it is quite funny)

I'm going to give you the just short enough, just long enough tour or me my likes and dislikes

First a quick history of me - Rhoda Weatherill

I was born and grew up in Scotland in St.Andrews where my parents worked at the University. I was born on the 29th of February, that's a leap year. I have a younger brother who lives in London and who I get on very well with. We didn't have a tv or car when we were growing up. My parents thought playing outside and cycling would be healthier. At the time I wasn't convinced, but now I think they were right!

I then went to University in London to study electrical and electronic engineering at UCL. My husband was on the same course although we didn't really get to know each other until some years later. We got married in Las Vegas on the spur of the moment - we let our parents know by text message. I stayed in London after University working in IT mainly for banks.

Then we moved France, buying a decrepit farm house in the Pyrenees, it is close to a ski area with enough land for horses. I lived there full time for a couple of years and now work in London four days a week while my husband stays in France, renovates the house, and looks after the animals - we have horses, cows, sheep, pigs, quail, rabbits, chickens and a cat and dog.

Now some of my likes:

I like Work. For people who know me this would seem an unlikely like, but having lived for a while in France not working I now have a renewed enthusiasm for the benefits of it - it pays for all my other activities - and the shoes, I like shoes.

I like outdoors activities, I sailed a lot as a child and now ski and horse ride. I enjoy these activities for many reasons, but not least because they can be a bit scary and I find that I need scary things in life otherwise I get bored.

I like making things, or I could call it the 'domestic arts', knitting, sewing and cooking. I find these activities relaxing but mentally challenging enough not to be boring.

And finally some dislikes

I dislike speaking in public. particularly impromptu speaking where I find it hard to organise my thoughts in to words quickly.

I dislike not getting enough sleep, this has to be the biggest part of my wish not to have children.

I dislike celery, spring onion and various of the green garnishes restaurants insist on putting on food

So, I have gone from Scotland to London to France. I like work - for the money, outdoors activities - for the thrills, and the domestic arts - for relaxation. I dislike public speaking, lack of sleep and unnecessary green garnishes

I will leave you with thought from Virgil Thomson (composer)

Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it (that's this speech!). Twice, to learn how to do it (it may take a few more times than that). And a third time to figure out whether you like it or not (I am confident that having joined Toastmasters I can learn, with your help, to like public speaking)

It went very very very well considering how nervous I was. I had a struggle to remember the quote at the beginning, but remembered it 'on the night'. There were two other speakers and the other members vote for the best speaker. I have seen many many who are really really good and much better than me, but these guys were trying more challenging subjects than me and but I got lucky this time! 

Being the first time I probably spent hundreds of times longer preparing than the other people. 

Here is the dog patiently listening to it. Doug wasn't so keen and only got it once.

One of the others (who has done quite a few Toastmaster speeches) went for quite a challenging attempt of comic story telling which didn't quite come off - but I think it is like skiing where they say if you don't fall over you aren't trying hard enough, so if you can't take risks and try things in this environment you won't learn.

You get feedback from an evaluator and the other members give you short written feedback. 

It is a rule that feedback is always very encouraging with positive feedback and things to work on rather than criticism. Previously for impromtu speeches I have been given feedback that I wring my hands and tap dance. So I focused on not doing those things. Now feedback is that I am too fixed in position - but this is a good step I think as I wasn't aware of the hand wringing and dancing and now I can spend some time getting rid of them and some time managing to have spare brain capacity for deliberate movement.

I discovered that a good quote at the beginning makes a massive difference to how you feel going in to the whole speech. V important for the future to remember that. I tried quite a few before picking this one.