REWARDING MENTORING!

By Shirley M. Carolan

This summer I had the privilege and opportunity to mentor three young professional women through their “ Icebreaker” speeches at my Carlsbad Toastmaster Club #2113, Tick Talk Toastmasters! They are from diverse backgrounds and bring a plethora of talent and experiences with them.

Lest you think Toastmasters is dull and repetitive, let me tell you a little bit about these amazing young women. One is a mortgage broker (her own business), one is a professional chef, employed by a very prestigious San Francisco Bay Area restaurant, and one is a very gifted artist, author, and teacher. Two of them one the “Best Speaker” trophy the night they spoke. The third one also would have won this distinguished award had she not , unfortunately, ran a little over the time limit. That’s right, you heard right … the time limit!

Everything in Toastmaster is timed, from the start of the meeting, through Table Topics, Prepared Speeches to Evaluations. For some this is a turnoff but for others they appreciate learning how to express themselves succinctly, without using a lot of unnecessary verbage, and boring an audience to death! It’s an art form but anyone with the desire can learn how to speak in public at the drop of a hat without going to pieces. I’m told the No. 1 fear is America is still the fear of public speaking, and not the fear of dying!

Getting back to the young mentees. The mortgage broker was seduced by an opportunity to get her college paid for if she enlisted in the US Army. Her stories of boot camp/training while hilarious are also a testament to her character and discipline! We were all mesmerized by the ordeals this petite young woman experienced.

Our professional chef told us about her first interview after graduation and how tough it was to convince the Head Chef that she had what it takes to handle an 8hr day job, standing on her feet, chopping, grinding nuts, fava beans, etc. with a pestle! She showed us her burn scars with pride saying they were her “medals” in her profession. And we think enduring a 1-2 interview session with a panel of people is tough!

Our artist/author riveted us with her story of being born deaf, learning the American Sign Language to communicate with family and friends. Her world was totally silent until she was about 9 years old and scientific advances changed her life forever so that now she can hear and communicate beautifully. Her artwork is outstanding and encompasses many cultures. She is written up in several magazines.

Again, it was a joy for me to work with all these talented young women. They are a joy to be around and a joy to watch grow! They will certainly leave their mark in their respective fields and then some! After 26 years in Toastmasters International I am still learning! The folks you meet are inspiring and stimulating. Why not check out a Toastmaster club near you by going to www.toastmasters.org

Shirley M. Carolan
artistwithaflair@att.net
Phone/Fax: 760-732-0332
www.shirleycarolan.com
http://smcarolan.blogspot.com
http://angelscross.blogspot.com

Copyright 2007 by Shirley Carolan. All rights reserved. To reprint any part of this article simply contact Shirley Carolan at artistwithaflair@att.net.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!

By Shirley M. Carolan

Regretably, I have not written in some time. You might say the muse left me. I’m now trying to get on with my writing projects and my life after a traumatic ordeal which began last spring.

Buying a new computer (regardless of the make) with all the latest bells and whistles and attendant software should be a fun and memorable experience. After all, it’s not an everyday occurrence. Alas, since last spring that has not been the case for me.

Let me begin with the end in mind: DO NOT PAY CASH OR BY CHECK FOR ANY MERCHANDISE PURCHASED FROM A RETAIL STORE! You may already be aware of this. I was not. I paid for my new Hewlett Packard computer system by check instead of using a credit card. This action has literally haunted me.

If you pay by check, or cash, beware, if the merchandise is defective, for whatever reason, you, the consumer, must bear the brunt/responsibility of getting satisfaction from a vendor. This can be a very time-consuming, frustrating, income/money losing proposition and a very stressful experience. I experienced this when I bought my new computer system at Fry’s Electronics in San Marcos in March 2007!

The system crashed innumerable times, was fixed twice at the store, the first time requiring a new motherboard; a 3rd time, a technician came to my home to repair/assess the problem, and it crashed again shortly thereafter. The store manager would not let me exchange it. Recently, an exchange was made but not like for like merchandise. Instead, a Hewlett Packard computer was inadvertently exchanged for a Compaq Presario costing much less …

The moral is: Always use a credit card when buying merchandise from a retail store. The bank, or credit card company, will pursue claims of defective merchandise far easier and more quickly than you can. While they do the pursuing, and you get your money back if that’s what you want, you can sleep soundly at night!


Shirley M. Carolan
artistwithaflair@att.net
Phone/Fax: 760-732-0332
www.shirleycarolan.com
http://smcarolan.blogspot.com
http://angelscross.blogspot.com

Copyright 2007 by Shirley Carolan. All rights reserved. To reprint any part of this article simply contact Shirley Carolan at artistwithaflair@att.net.