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| Phillip Silas, CC |
When I first experienced a Toastmasters meeting, I'll be honest, I really didn't know what to expect. I didn't know very much about what they represented, but I didn't feel any intimidation whatsoever.
My wife and I were greeted warmly by all of the members, assuring us we were at home. Everyone raved over my wife's name (Antoinette) and added that my name (Phillip) was just as ravishing.
The room was not confining, and the set up had an audience/stage-like appearance. The meeting was prayed over and we pledged allegiance to the flag. We were given name tags and asked how we heard about Afterburners Toastmasters. We were also asked if we wanted to participate in something called "Table Topics" to which I replied, "Yes" thinking it was no big deal.
The Toastmaster of the evening followed the agenda exactly. The speakers were entertaining, and the comments about them were just as good. I was a bit distracted by the passing of little notes or comment slips between speakers, but tried to maintain my concentration.
When we finally got to "Table Topics" I thought "Well, I guess I finally get a chance to show off like everybody else!" The Table Topics Master kept meeting my eyes but didn't say a word to me until after his second question. I now know that he was giving me the opportunity to hear more seasoned Toastmasters answer the questions so I could decide to bail out if I wanted at the last minute! I don't remember the exact question, but I do know it was about politics, which was perfect for me because I am well-versed in this area. I'll just say this about my response: I think I invented the words "ah" and "uh" because the Ah Counter said I used too many to count!
The following week, my wife and I joined Afterburners, and my "ahs" and "uhs" have decreased significantly as I've become a more confident speaker. The story continues once a week on Tuesdays at 7 pm in the Tarrant County Extension Building located at 200 Taylor Street in Fort Worth. We meet on the 5th Floor in the Lonestar A & B Room. Join us and see if Afterburners could be your new Toastmasters home!
