6i4 degrees this morning. 53:40 minutes walk.
Toastmasters played a major role in my life for years, and then I stopped going several years ago since there wasn't really a convenient club that met my schedule.
There is both good and bad in everything, and there is a Toastmaster’s Club convenient to me. I went for the first time and enjoyed it. I learned a couple of new things ( one was about the ‘MEMEX”, a conceptual first computer and internet and World Wide Web). It was very interesting.
Another speaker spoke about the importance of eating and exercise and mentioned he was entering a Body Building Contest in about six weeks. His body fat had decreased from 16% to 9%. (I would be amazed if I got even close to 16%!)
I don’t necessarily agree with extreme Body Building (the book “Muscle” first provided information on this and also the dangers of extreme body building or exercise). While I never even considered trying something like that, at the time I was lifting weights extensively and I found it interesting, and perhaps a little scary that people would actually go to those extremes. I still lift weights, but more to preserve what I have then to gain anything.
Speaking of extremes, that is true in any field. The most extreme I think of is Beck Weathers in “Left for Dead” as he describes the dangers of extremism in pursuing mountain climbing (He was a surgeon who was literally “left for dead” and referred to as ‘that dead man in the tent”. He lost the use of his hands due to the cold and his wife and family were advised he was dead.
In the book, the most heartbreaking moment is when he describes the scene of a young guide who is caught at the talk of the mountain, certain to die by freezing to death, as he talks to his pregnant wife over a satellite phone. He had gone up to rescue someone he was guiding who had ignored his advice. I will always think of this when I see people who are so focused on one thing they lose there sense of a balanced life.
I heard him (Beck Weathers) speak with Doris Kearns Goodwin at an ICMA Conference, one of the more notable ones I have attended.
Back to the Toastmasters group, I was pleased ot see a variety of people in all aspects, I think that makes for a more interesting club. I don’t know that I will get too involved soon, but I plan on starting at the beginning manual and working through them (probably on a deliberate basis without getting too extreme about it!)
I am learning more about my job and soon will start “doing” he duties under the supervision and guidance of a trainer. I am already getting ideas for improvements in some of the job duties that I think may help my productively.
Tomorrow I am going to finalize all of my insurance and other fringe benefits, including retirement, dental, health insurance and vision insurance. And life insurance, just in case. I also get 15 days sick leave and 15 days vacation leave, which is nice. Best of all, my time after work and on weekends is my own, I not only am not expected to work more that 40 hours per week, I can’t work more than 40 hours per week. Probably better is the fact it appears I work with some really nice people, which is always a benefit of it’s own.
First day of Fall. The cooler weather brings back memories of last December, January and February,, March etc. when I should have had all the time in the world but I felt driven to work on self improvement, looking for jobs etc.
In spite of it all, I seem to have fallen into the perfect job for me, a least in this stage of my life. I hasten to say, “this stage” would not be here if it hadn’t been for the actions in Lakeland. I would have preferred to continue our lives there, we continue to miss many of the routines, friends and activities and always well (as well as our wonderful house).
But, that isn’t the situation and I have to deal with life as it is and since I can’t always have what I want, I will enjoy and greatly appreciate (believe me, I do) what I have.
That’s it for now, the first day of Fall, Tuesday, September 23, 2014.
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