Day One-hundred-and-fourteen: Speeches

As a high school Senior I went to both Boys State and Youth in Government, from two different schools. I ran for Lieutenant Governor in both but was selected as such by Youth in Government. (Boys State was in the summer between my Junior and Senior year. Among other memories, I got a smallpox renewal that took so I couldn't go swimming and I shook Governor Rhodes' hand.) The reason I won in Youth in Government, aside from my opponents' supporters really not wanting to vote for each other making me the compromise candidate, was that we were supposed to be ready to speak on one of three topics. So, I wrote out and memorized three speeches.

As I am working to memorize the below, I can only think back to earlier memory feats, like the above, and think of how much easier it was then. I like exercising my mind much better with crossword puzzles and Sudoku than memorization, but then any mental exercise is good in this Life after Layoff.

Thank you Toastmaster ____________.

My fellow Toastmasters and honored guest(s),

I must admit to a little discomfort with the thought of talking about myself, particularly when, as one of your more recent members, I have missed your similar speeches.

However, in the next 30 minutes I will endeavor to tell you what I’ve done, where I’ve been, and how the numerous personality and style assessments I’ve taken depict me. At the end of this speech you should know me as well as I know myself. Don’t worry, those assessments I mentioned say that I am a “big picture” kind of person and tend to gloss over details, which should allow me to fit my remarks into about four minutes.

First, a little more “where” than “what.” I was born and raised in Ohio, raised all over Ohio. In point of fact, I went to ten different schools in my K through 12 grades. (This left me with a condition that I must apologize for; I have a mental block when it comes to easily remembering names. Please bear with me while I fully learn each of yours.)

To make up for all the schools I went to in K through 12, I earned both my Bachelors and Masters in the then new field of Computer Science from The Ohio State University. Staying at the same university wasn’t really to balance my numerous K through 12 schools but rather was because I got on this great research project as an undergrad, which just happened to pay for my grad school.

I met and married my wife while still in Columbus, Ohio, working at my second job after college. We immediately moved to Houston, Texas, because that is where I was offered a job when I was trying to get her to Phoenix. (It was in Houston that I originally joined Toastmasters. As a non-local I had an added difficulty counting “ahs.” “Ah” don’t think I'll have that problem in this club.) We spent 8 ½ years in Houston, during which time our new family expanded by three children, none of whom now admit to be Texans.

We next moved to Fremont, California, when the company I worked for moved me out to their headquarters in Silicon Valley. Just a little over two years ago, after over 19 years in Fremont, we moved our empty nest to Pacifica for the clean air and excellent weather.

Now for a little more “what” than “where.” I’ve spent most of my working life alternating between individual contributor and manager roles, all of which were somewhat in Information Technology. For the last five years, I have been a mid-level executive, the equivalent of a Technology Director for a division of Wells Fargo. Recently I jumped at an opportunity to be outplaced, and kept jumping for joy, until the stock market meltdown.

Now I’m still looking forward to my own business, early retirement, self-employment through writing, or all of the previous and more. I even have two blogs going. (If you didn’t catch it, I did not say I’m looking forward to finding a job. I have too many other things to do.) In fact, just after Thanksgiving I’m going on a six-week road trip to visit my and my wife’s families in Ohio and West Virginia. One of the special projects on the “back of my mind” combines motorcycle riding with a running travel joke my wife and I shared. It seemed that whenever we got on the road she would have to stop and go to the bathroom, which she always insisted be the best places, never a gas station. In her honor, I hope to write about a long motorcycle trip around Canada and the United States tentatively titled: “Whizzing Around North America.”

The biggest change in my life wasn’t my layoff, but the passing of my wife last December after she battled cancer for two and a half years. Her memorial fund, the Marilyn Westbrook Garment Fund, is why I’ve rejoined Toastmasters after so long of a gap.

Lest you think I’ve forgotten something I intended to say, I never really planned to talk about my various personality and style assessments, at least in this speech.

Instead let me close by saying I’m still on a journey of self-discovery. To this end I’ve been a vegan since last November and have recently started meditating. Some people make meditation a transcendental experience. I’m still shooting for a “trans-incidental” experience.

You still may not know me as well as you would like, but then I can say the same thing.

Thank you.

By the way, the woodpecker and hummingbird both came back while I was sitting in the backyard again. Should I be concerned that my willow tree is diseased?