Toastmasters!
I attended a Toastmasters meeting again last night. It was a competition so was organized differently than the usual meetings. Again, I am impressed with the quality of speeches. Last night there were five humorous speeches and we were almost literally ROFL.
I have enjoyed each speech given and think I may actually be starting to touch a place inside that enjoys giving speeches. I see how much each person prepares, how they stretch to find something meaningful in their lives and present it in a way to instruct and entertain.
I spoke last week, gave my Icebreaker speech, an introduction to myself. I survived and appreciate its effect. The reverberations go on, a rock tossed in a lake.
I was reminded of equine therapy. I saw that, like the horse, the audience gives us back to ourselves. I felt their response and responded to that. It is an energetic play, a dance. It shows me how disconnected we can be in this society if our entertainment is through computer and TV. It is lovely to be in a roomful of people taking turns listening and speaking. I like it!
Check it out. There may be a Toastmasters meeting near you, though each week I hear that "our club" is the best. :)
I see here that most clubs have about twenty members. Ours is approaching sixty and will be closed at that point because of the size of the room. We are squished, but happily so.
http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/WhatisToastmasters.aspx