Page 2 - April 2015 Voices!
P. 2
t's on Your Wall?
Phyllis Harmon, DTM—District Governor
Each year on my birthday, my dad would mark my growth spurt on
the dining room wall. From my first birthday to my thirteenth, he
charted. Dad made quite the ceremony out of it. It was my job to
stand as tall as I could, spine straight, shoulders back, heels against the wall. He would
get out the yardstick, make a mark on the wall, and write the year recorded next to it.
Each time, he would chuckle and ruffle my hair saying, "kid, you are getting too big for
your britches! What am I going to do with you?" I remember how proud I was when he
pointed out my continued growth to everyone who would listen. He stopped charting
when I entered high school and reached my full height. By then, I had no patience
with my Dad. He decided that I was too big for my britches, and he still didn't know
what he was going to do with me.
Looking back, the dining room wall was my visible history, showing me where I had
been, and a reminder that life didn't stand still. I recognize now that Dad was instilling
in me a sense of self and an eagerness to meet the future with plans backed by action.
Like marks on that earlier wall, my dining room is littered with certificates and awards
earned over the years, reminders of my educational growth and career choices. My
Toastmasters wall keeps expanding as I continue to push against my limitations.
What does your wall look like? Are you earning new awards and certifications,
furthering your educational and career choices? Or are you sitting back, and letting
the years pass you by. Toastmasters updated their educational awards program in
2008. Are you among those still showing CTM or ATM as your highest achievement?
Why? What's keeping you from charting your next growth spurt on your wall? Now is
as good a time as any to review your educational and leadership program, and get
moving forward. There is still time to complete your manuals and submit them to
Toastmasters International this year. With nearly three months left, you can still meet
this year's goals.
Dad? I thank him for the sense of self and the life lessons he taught me on that wall. I
don't think he ever figured out what to do with me. He ruffled my hair to the day he
died, and kept reminding me that I was still too big for my britches.
2
Phyllis Harmon, DTM—District Governor
Each year on my birthday, my dad would mark my growth spurt on
the dining room wall. From my first birthday to my thirteenth, he
charted. Dad made quite the ceremony out of it. It was my job to
stand as tall as I could, spine straight, shoulders back, heels against the wall. He would
get out the yardstick, make a mark on the wall, and write the year recorded next to it.
Each time, he would chuckle and ruffle my hair saying, "kid, you are getting too big for
your britches! What am I going to do with you?" I remember how proud I was when he
pointed out my continued growth to everyone who would listen. He stopped charting
when I entered high school and reached my full height. By then, I had no patience
with my Dad. He decided that I was too big for my britches, and he still didn't know
what he was going to do with me.
Looking back, the dining room wall was my visible history, showing me where I had
been, and a reminder that life didn't stand still. I recognize now that Dad was instilling
in me a sense of self and an eagerness to meet the future with plans backed by action.
Like marks on that earlier wall, my dining room is littered with certificates and awards
earned over the years, reminders of my educational growth and career choices. My
Toastmasters wall keeps expanding as I continue to push against my limitations.
What does your wall look like? Are you earning new awards and certifications,
furthering your educational and career choices? Or are you sitting back, and letting
the years pass you by. Toastmasters updated their educational awards program in
2008. Are you among those still showing CTM or ATM as your highest achievement?
Why? What's keeping you from charting your next growth spurt on your wall? Now is
as good a time as any to review your educational and leadership program, and get
moving forward. There is still time to complete your manuals and submit them to
Toastmasters International this year. With nearly three months left, you can still meet
this year's goals.
Dad? I thank him for the sense of self and the life lessons he taught me on that wall. I
don't think he ever figured out what to do with me. He ruffled my hair to the day he
died, and kept reminding me that I was still too big for my britches.
2
