A Report From the Inside

This week at my Toastmasters' meeting, I got to witness my dad speak. Typically, my dad is fairly reserved, even around family, and so this was a new experience for me--to see my dad in a completely different setting, completely at ease, telling stories.

I'm often asked how long my dad has been a member of Toastmasters. My standard reply has always been "for as long as I can remember."

I came to find out on Thursday night, I wasn't that far off with my pat answer. He's been a member for 26 years. That's basically as long as I can remember.

And as I listened to him tell an amusing story about buying new cookware with my mom, I was suddenly struck with a thought:

He's been a member for 26 years. Thus, he's been giving speeches for 26 years. Clearly, none of us had put much stock into what he was speaking about, because the reality of the situation only dawned on me in that room. He's been talking about US for the past 26 years. About rearing twins. Snotty teenagers. Pets. Sending kids on first dates and to college. Agreeing to give his baby girl's hand to an almost stranger who offered to buy lunch at Arby's in exchange. (Luckily, my dad thought I was pricier than an Arby's meal deal, and took Wade to a steakhouse--footing the bill himself. It was that Wade called him at work and wanted to take him to lunch that counted afterall). Buying cookware with my mom.

I don't know for sure what he's spoken on all these years and he doesn't remember a lot of the speeches either. But, 26 years of memories and stories and how I wish I could've been there for all those speeches. To see how he saw life as it circled around him.

He made a curious observation on Thursday. One that opened a whole new view of him in my eyes. He commented that purchases in his household followed a certain pattern. Mainly, it was that his wife made them. He, though, could gently suggest that something needed to be replaced, and in a few days time, she would see the need and then tell him that it was time to get a new computer/refrigerator/house etc. and he'd smile and agree.

This explains so much. Like, how does my mom know when it's time to get a new computer? And all this time, I've been thinking that he just doesn't care when in actuality, he just plants the idea in her head and waits for her to think that it's all her.

During the course of his speech, my dad made jokes cracked us all up, especially me, because I have first hand knowledge of what he's talking about.

My mom had told me just a few days prior that she had bought a whole new set of cookware--pans and such--because she's never had a brand new matching set before. Of course, I had no idea that this one minute blurb of her life could've been stretched into an eight minute speech from my dad's point of view. She failed to mention all the details concerning the pan purchase, and I didn't think to ask. What's so interesting about a pan purchase.

Apparently, a lot.

When I called my mom on Friday morning to share my news from inside the Toastmasters' meeting, I asked:

"Did you know that dad has been a member of Toastermasters for 26 years now."

"That sounds about right." She casually replied.

"Do you have any idea what he's been talking about for the past 26 years?" I rebuttled.

"I guess I've never really thought about it. He gave a speech on the kitty one time."

"Us, mom. He's been talking about us for the past 26 years. I bet people know more about us then we do. Yesterday, he gave an 8 minute speech about your new cookware. When you told me about buying new pans and stuff, it only lasted a minute. 8 minutes. About buying cookware with his wife."

"Hmmm...that is very interesting to think about. 26 years, huh?"