Pathways Conversations with Carole: Week 2

Here comes our Pathways Conversations with Carole, this is the second week and exchange. 

"Week two for Carole" who writes weekly. So we decided, we will exchange at least three times, Fridays.

My blog, as you know, is a Daily and hers is Weekly. Because of it the tone of our posts are also different, suited to a daily conversation and hers to a weekly, a bit more thoughtful one.

Go read her answers, this time to my suggestions. 

Even if those where my questions and I wrote them in the order she published them to her blog, see here the image I took from it, I decided to answer them, but in different order.

Best memory as Guide is the recent one, but least memorable experience is one of the first one. So I decided to speak about them as they come about in the chronological order.

5. My least memorable experience? What does it mean 'least'? Worst I should have said. Because the worst is as memorable if not more then the best one!

I begun Pathways, having found a club in Virginia, in the Pilot district 27, who needed us. Way back, end March 2017. Let us put aside the day, when I opened the Navigator the first time and it crashed. I did not know, but the system was not yet ready for us. The result for me was that I did not touch Navigator for month! As if were its fault. Next day, choosing a path went smooth, and beginning my Icebreaker too. 

Yes, we all went to that club, agreeing never to SEE them, only speak by voice. My worst experience was trying to speak through phone, and listening in a whole hour cost me a lot, then when I begun to tell, they did not understood me! "Speak lauder" but lauder was worse. It was the contact or the firewall that got between us. 

And when finally I could deliver my Icebreaker, my first one, I got the worse feedback I could imagine, a feedback I felt like a put down. The story I told got laugher and warmth when I told in the clubs I visited nearby. I have adapted it to the Washington region, when I joined Toastmasters the first time in 1977 winter. Still, they not only did not understand my meaning and humour and openness, but told me "it is because your English". 

Then, for many days, the VPE did not approve it, at that time the Icebreaker had to approve, but only because she did not know how to get into the system. The President finally did it for her and I was on to my next Project. "Deliver anywhere you can, want." And I did! From there it could only go up. And it did. 

4. My most memorable experience? Perhaps the next two projects of Level 1 delivered in a few different Online Clubs. The stories I found were related to my "first time" in Toastmaster experience and popped up because it was Easter time, and another Easter Sunday, when I was 25 my life changed: I become woman. 

But so much more changed in me before that. I was named "Enemy of People" and forbidden to finish my studies after almost 6 years of yearly exams. I grew up and out from my father's "do that do this do not do" and of course, also fall for him. Who later, become my husband and the father of my two children. But in 7 minutes I just told one Sunday's tale. Then the week after, I told how many things happened around it to me. And, after I evaluated someone, I realized that the important was the Transition in my life. 

Every change, and new thing arriving, begins with an End. Then a long search a long Transition period. I bought a book Managing Transition from the same author that wrote Transitions, and realized then, that as it was for me at age 25, Pathways is also a transition for all of us. From End something great arrived. We have to let go first. Experience and end, in different parts of our life. Personal, work, passions even.

Then. In the Research Project Level 1, I combined already Transition and Pathways and went all to way from there to the end, finding my Vision and continuing on it since.

I got my Level 1 ! At age 83 I was not to old to get it! That was my most memorable joy and important award for me. Not any of my 5 path finished got me so much joy.  

A year later, when Pathway launched in our region, it was another new life again.

At launch, a year later then I begun, I was already "the expert" and could help others.

3. My best Project is this blog, so much came out of it! I wake up each morning energized and got a lot of pals from it too. It takes time to imagine, to prepare, to create a new post: I always loved writing. And in plus, to have a sure audience! 

The first time it was Geni who read  my blog for a month from New Zealand, and almost a year later, strange, I realize now, Magda did read also from New Zealand. She read this time, month by month also all my old posts! Once month by day! 

Many other Projects proved very valuable to me: they come just the right time in my life!

2. Preferred Path experience: Leadership Development, arrived to me, was chosen by me, in August last year, to prepare a Storytelling International Festival together with Paul. We decided to dedicate it all to Personal Storytelling, prove by example how important they are and how long a good story last, how much it matters in our lives. On the way, we exchanged our stories before telling them, after showing the text or/and the video. All projects in this Path fit in my plan and got right when needed them. 

Even if the general structure of any path is the same, I realized how much they can be personalized, not only the path but also each project. A wonderful AHA! 

1. Best memory as a Pathways Guide? Perhaps the letter I got recently, from a grateful VPE  from Kenya with 85 members in her club: most of them begun pathways, thanking me for my help. But so many good memories of zooming and meeting Toastmasters from Kenya! Adopting each time to their needs, answering questions and being able to do it.