Ahs and Ums

One of the roles at a Toastmasters meeting is the Ah Counter. The Ah Counter takes note of overused filler words (ah, um, like, etc.) used by speakers and reports on their findings towards the end of the meeting. I have felt uncomfortable with this role at times because it feels negative to report that someone used 5 ahs and 3 ums in their speech. To make the role more positive I usually offer the advice that a simple pause can replace an ah and improve communication.

I was pleased to see a recent blog post on this topic, What Should You Do About Filler Words and Sounds? One of the interesting takeaways was that absolute zealous avoidance of filler words is not needed. 

It may surprise you to learn that the research shows that when you say, “ah” or “uh” or “um” as a way of filling the space while you think of what to say next, you increase your audience’s comprehension of what’s coming. 

Instead, it's the overuse of filler words that causes communication to be less effective. Maybe we should forgive ourselves for a few ums. What do you think?

Mosquitoes

While walking around my Central Texas yard yesterday to pick up after the dog, I got my first mosquito bites of the season. What!? It's not yet April. It's true we have had more rainfall than normal so far this year. Here is a KUT article about mosquitoes in our area. May you avoid bites.

Gaines Creek Flowing

I joined a hiking group this morning for a walk along the Violet Crown Trail. We met at the Spyglass entrance for a 5-mile round trip hike towards Loop 360. Rain had fallen the night before, and the trail was soggy in places but passable. We crossed Barton Creek a few times and found no water flow in the creek. 

It was a pleasant surprise to find a steady flow of water coming down Gaines Creek when we reached it. Small cascades and burbling sounds were a treat as we walked up the creek a quarter mile or so. We found the first crossing to be completely submerged so we turned around at that point.

Why would one creek be flowing and the other not? Did more rain fall in the Gaines Creek watershed? Does the larger Barton Creek require more rainfall to flow. Perhaps, it has more sinks where the water seeps into the aquifer. I don't know the answer, but I'm pleased for the experience.

Social Anxiety

I have been making a lot of progress with my social anxiety lately, doing things like:

• Welcoming visitors at Toastmasters meetings, 
• Going on hikes with strangers who organize through Meetup, and  
• Attending yoga classes.

A resource that I find particularly helpful is the book, How to Be Yourself by Ellen Hendriksen. One of the key takeaways for me is this. Don't wait to do the thing that makes you anxious until you are not anxious about it. Rather, do the thing that makes you anxious until you are less anxious about it.

When I first attended Toastmasters meetings, I felt strong anxiety 

1. Before it was time to leave the house
2. Before I entered the meeting room
3. When I might be called to the front to respond to a Table Topic.

Over time, as I have done each of these again and again, the level of anxiety has eased. The first two hardly happen anymore while the third has moderated. There will always be some level of anxiety trying something new, but with repetition, it need not be paralyzing.

Today, I start posting to meet requirements for the Write a Compelling Blog project in the Innovative Planning Toastmasters Pathway. I intend to post 8 times in the first month, aiming for a Sunday and Wednesday cadence.

Last week, I led Table Topics during our weekly meeting. The theme was When We Were Young so I thought topics related to songs about being young would be fun. Here are three that stood out. Enjoy!

1. El Paso native, Khalid, sings about his high school experience in the song Young, Dumb, and Broke. Tell us about an experience you had in high school.
2. The song Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance begins with the singer's memory of his father taking him to the city when he was a young boy to see a marching band. Tell us about a time one of your parents or caregivers took you somewhere.
3.  Austin-based band, The Calm Blue Sea, have a song titled We Will Never Be as Young as We are Tonight. Tell us about something you did at night when you were young.

See you Wednesday.