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A Play of Words

By Swathi Iyer

Date: 08/07/2021

Fellow Toastmasters and Guests,

It was the summer of 2020, when I was meandering inside my head, thinking what do I do with my free-time! Almost everything outdoors was locked down! And with the entire world girding themselves so tight in their home, meeting people was a strict no-no. I was under the delusion that the days of the gala were gone! What new things do I learn from life? How do I make new friends? At times, I got really loquacious with my husband with the rigmaroles of how bored I was. Just like the rest of the world, I was still trying to embrace the situation, and alleviate the cacophony in my mind - but I needed help!

One fine day, while I was going through the routine google search, in my pursuit of happiness; I stumbled upon the TGIF website and decided to have a go at it. I spoke to the then VPPR, Ben, who, in a very convivial way, talked me through the details of the club and how it works. Just with that one conversation, I could imagine how much fun the club would be! Soon after I joined the club, I got a great deal of encouragement from the then officers - Arthy, Owen, Srikala, Bharat who helped me find my mentor, helped me enrol in pathways and gave me a sense of structure to my public speaking dreams. All this, despite themselves going through a transition phase! Yes, they have been diligently working on how best to support the online format - with a singular goal to stay connected and keep the club’s vibes up, amid the pandemic situation. That spoke to me in volumes, about how perspicacious the club members are!

During the club meetings, it was delightful to see how the speeches from people coming from different walks of lives, somehow, resonated so well with me! There's so much to learn - ranging from vocabulary, how to gesticulate in speeches - to zoom presentation techniques from this wonderful bunch of imagineers. Few months in, and it was already time for the club officers elections, for the term of Jan-Jun 2021. I still relish the confident feeling I got when our then-President, Arthy, reached out to me and suggested that I consider being a candidate for the Secretary role. I was unsure, but at the same time - thankful and humbled! I had my own set of doubts - will I be able to handle it? Will I be stressed out? Should I go for it now? too many questions. Nevertheless - I took a leap of faith.

I was super excited! But I'll be honest, in my initial days as a Secretary - I did feel a bit overwhelmed as well! Writing notes in the background, while trying to focus on what the wonderful speaker in front of me was speaking - felt a bit challenging. At times, I also tried to absquatulate from taking up backup roles, in trying to ameliorate my organization and time management skills. But with the gracious support of the club members and fellow officers, I felt the journey was much smoother than I thought . I realized how important the role of club officers is, especially after going online - in order to make the meetings smooth and successful!

Today, when I take a deep breath and cogitate on my responsibilities as a Secretary, I must say that I’ve gotten a bit more comfortable with multi-tasking! Participating in the club meetings has definitely had a positive influence in my personal growth, and my creative instincts. Honestly, I feel a little bit of nostalgia. It's one of those feelings - when you miss something after the fact! Just as the saying by our Indian Freedom Fighter, Mahatma Gandhi goes - "Joy lies in the fight, in the attempt, in the suffering involved, not in the victory itself”

Which is why, whenI looked through the weekly minutes that I had captured as a former Secretary, I thought - “Why not make a speech out of it?” Afterall, like our club member John Love says - “Toastmasters is all about 'freedom of thoughts'” And to add to it, I'd say - 'It's all about a play of words too!' In this process of throwing the words of the day like graffiti on a sheet of paper, and building my speech using these words - I got a feeling that I've found my path to eudaimonia back. Maybe, that’s what is meant by - Word painting! :)

The ebullient and rollicking vibes that I get at the end of every meeting motivates me to keep coming back! As a small token of thanks, I would love to contribute this speech and the word cloud of the word of the days, used in previous meetings as a TGIF blog. And when the time is propitious, I would love to become a club officer again…

Dedicated to the celebration of 50th Club Anniversary

Image: Word cloud of word of the days used in TGIF meeting

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