Mickey Starling
reporter3@greenepublishing.com
Gainesville native Eileen Herndon probably never saw herself living in Madison and, given her dislike for public speaking, joining Toastmasters wasn't high on her wish list, either. After falling in love with Madison resident Rick Herndon, Madison started looking like home. Rick had been living in Gainesville and had decided to move back home and Herndon wasn't far behind him. The couple has been married for over 20 years. They have two sons and two grandchildren.
Herndon is an executive assistant for Tri-County Electric Cooperative and is called upon to speak publicly from time to time. This aspect of the job is not something Herndon looks forward to. In fact, getting up in front of a crowd has been known to bring her to tears or make her feel ill. "I have always been terrified to speak in public, which may surprise those who know how much I like to talk," said Herndon. "Talking ceases to be fun in front of a group whose eyes are all on me." Herndon had been interested in Toastmasters for some time before joining the organization in November of 2018. Toastmasters is dedicated to improving public speaking and leadership skills in its members.
The fear of public speaking had paralyzed Herndon through much of her adult life, so plenty of fear was mounting when it came time for Herndon to give her first Toastmasters speech, known as the "ice breaker." She was amazed that she successfully completed the speech without tears or illness. "Toastmasters does a lot to build your confidence," said Herndon. "I remember feeling like I could conquer the world after giving that speech and I couldn't wait to share the good news with my loved ones."
Herndon has grown from the support and encouragement that Toastmasters constantly offers their members. "It's what the club is all about," said Herndon. "They make us better speakers and teach us how to overcome obstacles and accomplish our goals." The Madison group, named the Mad Talkers, is made up of a wide variety of people, some of whom have been with the club for many years. "I really appreciate the insight and knowledge that our more experienced members provide," said Herndon.
One of the greatest insights that Herndon has gained from her time in the club is learning to avoid the use of filler words, such as "um," "uh," "so" and others. "Toastmasters has taught me to collect my thoughts before speaking so that I can avoid using unnecessary words during a presentation," said Herndon.
At a recent meeting, held electronically by Zoom, Herndon delivered one of her finest speeches. Her topic was about the perks of working at home during the current coronavirus pandemic and it was full of interesting suggestions, important facts and delightful humor. There was no sign of nervousness or fear. All of the members present for the meeting agreed that it was a wonderful speech and they were particularly appreciative of Herndon's suggestion that, though wearing pants is optional these days, they are recommended if you want a productive and meaningful day. "I tried hard to take a serious subject and make it fun by thinking of all the positive things about working at home," said Herndon. "Having a meeting electronically helped me to focus on the camera rather than faces in a crowd. Now, if I can just figure out how to get back into that same frame of mind when in-person meetings resume."
"I think people have a misconception that Toastmasters is a bunch of people standing around making prolific statements to one another," said Herndon. "No, they are a group of people at different stages of their lives who want to keep learning, improving and helping others. Though I am still scared when I speak, I know I'm not going to cry and if I do cry, it won't be the end of the world. It will just make the basis of a great speech one day."