I quickly learned that I was not going to be a silent observer in this toastmaster club for very long.  The goal is to speak in public, right?  One portion of the meeting is called "table topics".  This part is still my biggest challenge.  

The "table topics" speaker asks random people attending the meeting to comment on a topic the speaker has chosen or to answer a specific question.  If called on you have just seconds to gather your thoughts and then speak, in front of everyone, for 1-2 minutes.  AARGH!  I am great at coming up with an awesome response, oh, about 30-60 minutes later.  Some people have the gift of free speech.  I should say the gift of speaking freely, about anything, anytime!  Not me.
 
It is common for visitors to be invited to speak to a topic during this time.  One can decline and that is completely O.K.  At the end of the meeting the Toastmaster for the meeting will ask visitors a bit about themselves, what led them to visit, and what they thought about it.  
 
Here is an example of a topic I was given (this was about a year into being a member). "Tell us something fun that you did recently."  My response was stunning.  Actually, being completely stunned, I stood behind the lectern with my mind completely blank.  I slumped forward onto the lectern and said, "I can't think of a single thing!"   
 
 You know what?  It is okay to say that and it is totally okay to smile sweetly and say, "I don't know but let me tell you about my cat (or whatever).  

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