Thank You Sandwiches!
Wait…what am I even saying?
12th July 2021. I am proudly claiming that I am one of the happiest members of ‘Colossus Toastmasters, NIT Trichy Chapter.’ Being the former secretary feels like icing on the cake!
25th January 2013. Birla Public School, Doha, Qatar (the school where I studied) gave a heart-warming reception to one of the Toastmasters Club in the country. Why?
A couple of days before the 25th, I got a piece of information about a workshop in our school conducted by Toastmasters Qatar. It was about ‘Public Speaking’- which I loathed the most! I passed this information on to my parents. As usual, my dad was unbothered. On the other hand, my mom wanted me to go for it. She always felt that I clenched stage fear securely. What about me? I had zero ideas about Toastmasters; I was hearing its name for the first time!
After going through a battle between my mind and my heart, I decided to go for the workshop. As a person who loathed giving speeches, my early reporting to the venue blew me away. Also, the name ‘Toastmasters’ gave me a weird feeling. The workshop kick-started at 11 a.m. As expected, I was given a 250 ml water bottle as a compliment. Slowly, the workshop moved into the theme.
The workshop highlighted the two most important aspects: how to frame your speech and to present it on the stage. These, to be honest, were my weakest areas. Though informative, I found the whole event boring until I was given falafel sandwiches during the break! Since these sandwiches recharged my body’s battery for the post-break session, I felt blessed when I heard the two thunderous speeches given by two of the club members! The ‘fear’ of public speaking flew away from my heart. I wholeheartedly welcomed the fact that ‘Public Speaking is an Art.’
The very next day, this event evaporated from my mind.
25th September 2015. I saw the same name again- Toastmasters through a poster in our tuition center. But what was my reaction? Extremely neutral! Albeit forgetting the workshop, how could I forget the lessons I learned from it? Also, how could I forget what I presumed to have permanently erased from my mind? Still, I had no intentions of joining Toastmasters.
Fast forward to 15th December 2015. Our school inaugurated the Toastmasters Gavels Club. Considering me as a pro-active student, my English teacher motivated me to be a part of the club. Considering his points, I decided to give the inauguration ceremony a chance. Through the ceremony, I learned about the style of weekly meets and the benefits of joining Toastmasters. Despite having tiny vestiges of stage fear, my heart said this club would give you the right platform to win over it! Go! Join it! But, alas! My mind never bothered to join the club!
I got out of our auditorium (where the inauguration happened) and saw a platter (in a food stall) full of falafel sandwiches, which I love! They reminded me of that workshop which I attended almost three years ago! They gave me the energy to enjoy the following speeches!
My English Sir followed me to the food stall. He kept convincing me to join the club. He further said that they would give sandwiches during break time. I was overwhelmed by hearing this and decided to follow my heart, which got me attracted to the club! I successfully joined the club to savor the delicacy of the sandwiches!
23rd December 2015.The day I joined the club. Meetings were held every Tuesday. Apart from tasting delicious sandwiches, I frankly enjoyed every meet! Few months passed, my purpose of going to the meet changed- not for sandwiches, but for personality development! I started loving the environment and wished to continue being a member of it. Slowly, I became less bothered about the sandwiches! Before I could fully enjoy Toastmasters, I had to pull myself out due to clashes between my tuition and meeting timings. As I neared eleventh grade, I had to prioritize my academics over extracurricular activities. No compromise. No sacrifice. No other way.
Two and a half years later. 3rd August 2018. I made it into one of the elite institutes of India, which is, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli. During the orientation for the first-year students, I got the list of clubs present on campus. As I glazed through the list, I was ecstatic when I saw the name ‘Toastmasters NIT Trichy.’ But what thoughts did I get first? It was that convivial learning environment and not the sandwiches! I gave a shot to the club inductions that happened in January 2019. Sadly, I could not make it to the club.
The attraction to the warm environment, the need for personality development, and overcoming stage fear never deterred my confidence in getting into the club. I gave it a shot to lateral inductions, which took place in September 2019. Guess what! I got selected!
What about sandwiches? They hardly minded me anymore, but I always thank them for initiating my love for Toastmasters!
Several months later, in May 2020, the same affable club elected me as the secretary.
12th July 2021. I am proudly claiming that I am one of the happiest members of ‘Colossus Toastmasters, NIT Trichy Chapter.’ Being the former secretary feels like icing on the cake!
