On the eve of ROC 100, Grand toastmasters Club members held a celebration party at my brother Jimmy's place. Among 8 party goers, four were Grand's ladies presidents, three past presidents and one incumbent president. Yvan invited her mother and her brother to join our gathering. Yvan's mother is also called Sherry, 11 years senior to me.
It was an entertaining and educational celebration party, featuring eating, drinking, laughing, and a workshop on i-phone and i-pod. Yvan just bought an i-pod for Sherry Senior. And Sherry Senior was eager to learn all functions of the portable Apple. On the new i-pod, we watched the inspiring commencement speech Apple Founder Steve Jobs delivered to the graduates at Standford University in 2005.
It was after Area H1 humorous speech and evaluation contests when I decided to give a celebration party the following day (also my birthday) for my winning of the first runner up at both contests. I was eager for the input from Grand's members how I can excel on stage at Division H humorous speech and evalation contests two weeks later.
I was extremely happy that Yvan's brother Richard came to the party. Richard suffered a severe hemorrhage in his brain when exercising in his office in April 2010. With the good care of Yvan's family, Richard is standing up again, actively participating in the community courses in his neighborhood accompanied by Yuvan's mother. Because of the damage of the prefrontal cortex, Richard has poor short term memory and relies heavily on his mother.
Sherry Senior told us that she led a more meaningful life after the accident of her son. She was more active in learning new tricks each day for her son, her daughter, and herself. I was so much inspired by her spirit to live her life fully and to face her destiny positively. Sherry Senior was pround to tell us that Richard was good at music. Richard has a good memory of melodies and lyrics. When Richard sang two songs in Taiwanese on i-pod, I was overwhelmed at the power of music.
In every corner of ROC, there are families of victims of major illness/injury. I am also one of the families. When Sherry Senior showed her determination to convert sadness to joy, I saw in her a motto, "if we shed tears when we miss the sun, we also miss the stars." Thank you, Sherry!
After the ROC 100 celebration party, I rewrote my humorous speech.
****** Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder ******I just turned 56 this month (hand gestures of five and six), Yes, I know I look younger. But, aging .....
Aging is irreversible, inevitable, and obvious, gray hair, reading glasses, and dementia. I forgot what I did yesterday, I forgot what I did one hour ago. At home, I search for the reading glasses for hours only to find them on my head. At work, I write things down on a piece of paper, but I forgot where I put the paper. I even forgot I am married when I am with handsome men.
Last Monday I woke up early. I was excited about the outing with four lady friends to visit the skywalk in Taoyuan. We agreed to meet at Taipei Train Station at 8, be there or be square. (look at the watch), "I am an early bird," (Put on Helmet, Hop on scooter, speed up! Bu bu bu)
Red light, Right turn, oh, two policemen ambushed behind a big tree!
"Driver's license, please!"
"Do I have to get a ticket? Please I just got fired and I'm late for my job interview!"
"Haven't you seen the red light?"
"I saw the red light, but I didn't see you!"
"In toastmasters, when we see the red light, we have thirty seconds leeway. Toastmasters is blablabla communication, blablabla leadership, ...."
"Okay, okay, Obasan, we will let you go this time, but please drive carefully and stop at any red light!"
"Yes, young man, thank you very much. Toastmasters is good for you!"
When I passed the Mos Burger, I smelled the good coffee. Yes, I have time for a cup of coffee. While I waited for my coffee, I went to the lady's room to put on the make up.
After a good cup of morning coffee, I felt recharged.
"It's good to be an early bird. I have a big day in front of me," I thought.
"Oh my god, where is my scooter key? Not in my hand bag, not in my jacket, maybe I left it in the lady’s room," I rushed back to the lady's room, I couldn't find it.
"Maybe I left the key in the trunk of my scooter," I rushed out to check the trunk, nope, not there, either.
"Did I throw it away with my coffee cup at the Mos Burger?" I dig the entire trash bag, I found my key.
What, seven thirty, I hopped on my scooter again, ran the yellow lights, ran the red lights, ran the green lights, arrived at Taipei Train Station at 8. There was nobody? How come? Did I mess up the gathering place? Where could it be? I waited, I waited, I waited. It was 8:15, nobody showed up?
I called Mary.
"Hello, Mary, are you still at home? Aren’t we supposed to go to the skywalk today?"
"Sherry, is that you (yawning)? But we have the outing tomorrow. Today is Monday!"
What happened to me? Why me? But think twice, isn't it wonderful to gain an extra day in life? By the time I got home, it was 9. I checked emails. There was one from Mary, saying that I might have AAADD--Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.
When I posted my AAADD status on Facebook, I received 20 responses, all from senior Toastmasters, comforting me with their similar conditions. Oh, I was not alone. We can charter an AAADD toastmasters club. Members will forget the nervousness, forget the stage fright, forget to show up.
Steve Jobs passed away this month at age of 56 (hand gestures of five and six). His commencement speech to the graduates at Stanford University in 2005 was inspiring. He urged the students to live everyday as it was the last in our life.
I'm 56 with gray hair, poor eyesight, hard hearing and AAADD. As I live one day, I shall cherish it as the last day in my life, to join the speech contest to inspire Toastmasters, and to bring laugher to people around me. Contest Chair!
The theme of YWCA Toastmasters Club's first meeting in November was stereotype. A week before, Toastmaster of Evening Kendrick Hu asked me about the stereotype that others thought of me, how others perceived me, whether the stereotype was true or not, and why. I responded that the stereotype of me was A GOLDEN LADY! It's true, because I'm over 50's and I have gold mine in me!
