Andrew Dlugan - Face the Wind - Toastmasters Speech Contest

Our second speaker this afternoon, Andrew Dlugan, faced the wind, faced the wind Andrew Dlugan. It was the riskiest decision of our lives. 18 months ago, my wife and I traded our condo keys for house keys. Our floor space doubled our mortgage tripled our income didn't change. When that first payment escaped our bank account was allowed vacuous, whoosh. Nearly knocked us right over. We didn't realize a much larger change was coming. Those precious few hours known as free time became yard work. For me, yard work is a lot like being a toastmasters club officer. I have no clue what I should be doing, but yet I'm always busy. Mister contest chair, ladies and gentlemen, and anyone who has ever chased that dream of home ownership only to be suckered into yard work. Numerous bushes and trees called out to me. Some were dead, others were just not what my wife wanted. But the Japanese maple tree, that was different. It had leaves, fiery red velvet leaves, full of the fire of life. So rather than chop it out, we decided to move it to the front yard in a prominent location. Now, the tree was the size of a sumo wrestler. I am not. Still, I estimated that I would be done in time to enjoy a mid morning lemonade. I began the negotiations with a two foot hole around the tree. The response, no. Not wide enough. I widened that whole many times, but the tree stuck to its guns. Several hours later, I had a moot. I went over to that tree and I gave it a tug, and of course it didn't move. It's my tug turned into a yank, my yanks turned to full fledged wrestling. And eventually, I triumphed. Truthfully, the tree had pity on me and fell over. But it was then that I realized the true source of this tree's strength. Roots, like tentacles, as expansive as its branches. Strong roots, strong tree. Now taking that tree and planting it over in the front yard was relatively easy. With the sunset in my eyes, I enjoyed that mid morning lemonade. I caught a glimpse of my daughter's bedroom window. And higher than that, even higher than tevis Thompson. The neighbors monster tree. And I realized if that tree ever fell over, my House is crushed. I was really thankful that trees have such strong roots. Well, many months later, yard work mercifully ended. Not because I had finished the work, but it was the rainy season. When it was first winter winds blue, I was in Quebec on business. I turned on the national news, and I was shocked to see footage from BC. Of storm winds blowing monster trees onto homes. Panic, dialed the phone. While terror gripped me, my wife said, I've got some bad news. The gas barbecue was lifted up off the deck and slammed into the house. But the good news is, the neighbor's tree is still standing. We were lucky. But many were not. It was impossible to imagine how so many trees with strong roots could be knocked over. Scientists suggested a theory, perhaps it was not the force of the wind. Perhaps it was that force combined with the direction. Ladies and gentlemen, every time the wind blows, the tree resists, and it gets a little bit stronger. And as that wind continues to blow, the tree gets very strong in this direction. But the winds of 2006 blew from over there. These trees could not face the wind, they could not compensate, they could not cope. Now, the events of this past month reminded me of the importance of always facing that wind head on. My sister in law Michelle and her husband Lance have had a pair of pregnancies. Both cut short by miscarriage. Their hearts broke twice. Michelle and Lance, they have strong roots. But strong words are not always enough. When that wind came for them, not once, but twice. They faced that wind head on. They refused to let it topple them or their dreams. The call came on a Sunday a few minutes shy of midnight. To announce the birth of their son, maximus, and my first thought was maximus. Russell Crowe from Gladiator? Did I realize maximus is Latin for the greatest? And he certainly is the greatest of joys. Though maximus was born a full month premature. An incubator shelters him from the wind. Like a glass cocoon. Ladies and gentlemen, we can not predict when the wind will go. We can not predict how strong it will be. We certainly can't predict its direction. Yesterday it's a mortgage payment. Today, maybe a windstorm. Tomorrow, you may be fighting for your dreams. Of fighting for your life. And at times like this, remember, we are not trees. We are not trees. Not one of you has roots going through that seat. We can control our response to the wind. Now we can try to shy away from it and risk being toppled over like so many were or we can face that wind head on. I urge you all face the wind. Mister contest you.