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COVER STORY

Meet Paul Carson, DTM, CareOregon, District 7
Humorous Speech Contest Champion. In his award-
winning speech, It's Not the Years, It's the Mileage,

Paul led us through a very funny look on growing
older.

Please share your background history

I’m a native Oregonian though I spent a lot of
time back east in New York. Eventually I found I
missed the Oregon wilderness, so I moved back
here. Though it took coming back to Oregon to

meet my future wife (who’s from New York)!
Funny part is, we were both living in New York
at the same time just a couple of blocks apart,
but we never met there.

When did you join Toastmasters and what prompted
you to do so? How long you been a member, club(s)
do you belong to, etc.

I joined Toastmasters in fall of 2009. I
didn’t really know what it was all about, but the
emphasis on communication really hooked
me. I do a lot of training and development

presentations, and it’s a good idea to make sure
you’re not falling into bad habits or becoming
boring. Toastmasters is a great way to keep
trying out new approaches, getting feedback, and

working to make sure your delivery isn’t stale.

A humorous outlook on life is a gift. Please tell
us about your sense of humor, what causes you

10 ONE COMMUNITY