Tag Archives: speaking

Lily Tomlin – One Ringy Dingy

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Lately in Toastmasters I've been experimenting with adding humor to my presentations. In a recent speech, I "channelled" Helen Madden, Licensed Joyologist and revealed one of my inner critics "Drizella", the evil step sister who forbade all silliness and gave me a tongue-lashing for playing the Licensed Joyologist in public (oh for shame!) Currently, I'm toying with the idea of bringing that "Drizella-ish" voice out into the light and having a conversation with it. Maybe even a little duel between her and Gal VanIZed. One of my fellow Toastmasters recommend that I look up some Lily Tomlin for inspiration. Great advice. Figured I'd share it.

Women and Public Speaking – On Helen Blanchard as Toastmasters’ First Female President

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Agape Toastmasters, Culver City, CAI've attended Toastmasters and entertained the idea of a public speaking as a career off and on for close to 18 years. Right now I'm a member of Agape Toastmasters, a diverse club with male and female members from various parts of the world and different ages and ethnicities. Our club's mission is to "foster an unconditionally loving, mutually supportive and highly inspirational environment". I think we do a pretty good job of it. After reading an article in the November 2008 Toastmaster magazine written by Julie Bawden Davis, I realize that the concept of unconditional love is something our world at large is still in the infancy stages of fostering. The article was about a woman named Helen Blanchard, Toastmasters' First Female President in 1985-1986. It was an engaging article and I was following along without incident until I read these words: "By 1973, women were allowed to join Toastmasters clubs and she was able to use her real name." Wait, hold up. Women were "allowed" to join Toastmasters in 1973? I'm not prepared to process the fact that 35 years ago, in my lifetime, women were not "allowed" to speak in public. At least not in Toastmasters. The thing is, Helen Blanchard joined Toastmasters before 1973, she just had to pretend she was "Homer" until she was "allowed" to be Helen. I shall purposely avoid the desire to break into a rant now. Instead, I will share a quote from the article with you that I think is important for all women to really bask in: "Everyone used to call Helen a women's libber, but the truth is, she's a 'people libber,'" says Chuck Borough, a member of Downtown Escondido Toastmasters who has known her for over 40 years. "Helen has chartered more than 40 clubs," he says. "Toastmasters is twice as big as it would have been without Helen." Turn down the heat and simmer in those words for a while. Let it sink in. Then, do something about it. If you live in the Greater L.A. area, consider being my guest at Agape Toastmasters one Saturday morning. I would love to meet you there so I can hear what you have to say. Hay House, Inc.