the real me

I gave my first speech in Toastmasters today. It was called an Icebreaker and was supposed to be a speech about yourself. I had one little glitch where I lost my train of thought for a few seconds and had to glance at my notes when the timer flashed the card that I was nearing the end of my time. Other than that I was quite proud of myself and my speech was very well received. This is how it went....more or less...

Madam Toastmaster

Ladies and Gentlemen

It is nice to see your smiling faces here today. Allow me to tell you a little bit about myself.

I fancy myself to be an interior decorator

And a fashion designer

And a gourmet cook

And a dedicated athlete

And a budding author

When I was a young woman heading off to college I thought that there were only two professions that I could pursue…..nurse or teacher. But since the very mention of illness made me want to run the other way, that ruled out nurse. I went off to Illinois State University where I declared a major in Special Education. After two and a half years of courses in Special Education, I made the decision that teaching was not for me. I had met my boyfriend Bill, now my husband, at the beginning of our sophomore year. He had been a music major but decided that maybe he did not have the talent for a career in music. He had switched to accounting. I was head over heels in love with him so when he suggested I switch to accounting also, I did.

If I had known myself then the way I do today, I would have known that anything in the area of Home Economics or health and nutrition would have better suited me.

I love color. When someone asks me what my favorite color is….I can’t answer. I have no favorite color. One day I may like the way paprika red pairs with goldenrod. Another day I may like the way chocolate brown plays against sky blue.

I love decorating. Over the years I have filled notebooks with decorating ideas for my home. I have carried out few of these ideas in my home due to lack of time, money and consent from my partner. However, word got out that decorating was one of my interests. When my company’s office was located on Delaware Ave the office manager approached me and asked if I would be interested in redecorating our conference room. Would I? I thought this was the dream of a lifetime. They were on a tight budget and there were certain obstacles I had to work around such as the gray carpeting and shocking pink window blinds that were staying in the room. I managed to take this room from cold and austere to glowing and welcoming. The room drew so many compliments from clients that when my firm moved our office to the Larkin Building they invited me to be the interior decorator for our new space.


Another career that may have suited me well is fashion designer. I learned to sew at an early age by making a simple elastic waist skirt. One of my first projects in sixth grade home ec was a disaster. A navy blue dress with yellow collar and cuffs. I received on D on this project. I took it home and my older sister tore it apart and fashioned a similar dress for our baby sister. I got better after that. I sewed most of my own clothes from junior high school through college. I was flattered when an older girl offered to pay me money to make her a psychedelic tunic top and bell bottoms. A couple of the projects that I’m most proud of are my sister’s wedding gown, a navy blue corduroy sports jacket for my husband and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Halloween costume that I made for son. I got away from sewing but recently got the itch again. I bought myself a new Bernina sewing machine in January. My first project was this skirt that I am wearing today.

The food industry may have been another area where I would have fared well. I got an early start here as well. In junior high I started a cake baking business. I grew up in a very small town and many of the locals ordered birthday and special occasion cakes from me. I started cooking Sunday dinners for my family. I love to plan meals and set a pretty table. Over the years I have learned what flavors go well together and I only use recipes as an inspiration instead of following them to the letter. That doesn’t stop me from owning hundreds of cookbooks. I don’t really consider myself to be a gourmet cook but it seems that others do and I’m proud of that.

Personal trainer may have been a good career for me. I’m very concerned with health and exercise. I started running when I was a senior in college and have kept it up ever since. This is one area of my life where I have complete and total control. Some days I don’t feel like going and it is not always easy. But I always make the decision to go. I always feel good afterward that I did. Sometimes I motivate myself by making up little games that I have to complete three miles in order to deliver a message that will save the world. Maybe I could motivate others as well.

Another career I may pursue someday is author. I started blogging in 2008. I found I liked writing and others thought I was good at it. I am very proud of some of the pieces I have written for my blog. Twilight is one of my favorites. I wrote about how my favorite time of day is twilight and how the happiest times of my life were not when I was the happiest but when I was content.Twilight is a time of day when I feel melancholy but content. I enjoy the challenge of putting my feelings into words for others to read and enjoy.

Any of these careers would have better suited me than accounting. Don’t get me wrong. I like my job. I get a thrill when I reconcile a bank account to the penny and I feel satisfaction when I am able to help a client with a Quickbooks question. But every morning I don my accountant disguise and every evening I come home and slip it off and become the real me.

Interior decorator

fashion designer

gourmet chef

dedicated athelete

and published author.

Maybe someday I can add accomplished speaker to my list.

Thank You.