Begins tomorrow, but last all the weekend.
Other the eating Turkey, or any other replacement ingredient for vegetarians, and other traditional foods, to remember how happy some of the first Immigrant Pilgrims where, when "Native Americans" Indians, offered them food, after they almost starved, many Americans tell stories around a table full of interesting traditional food, about people to whom they say "Thanks".
Tomorrow, I close my 20 month of Pathways Education cycle, with my second speech from the Pathways DTM. What should I tell? Of course a story. I have so many stories about Pathways!
I realize also, that I can not stuff my 10 to 12 minute speech with enumerating all those who helped me arrive here, who helped me on my way. So, why not do it in a post?
I remembered as I woke up this morning, the vacation when I was 12, we were three by room. Hearing my great great mother Paula speak to her God, before going to sleep, I decided to do the same. Thanking God for all the good in my day and asking to care for all I loved. Then, I heard someone add: "please help them all, except..." we then added all whom hurt us recently.
I will not make a list of "except" even if some irritated me through the 20 month. They do not succeed to hold me back or discourage me. Pathways Educational Program, and the Transition to new, the passion of telling stories and writing blogposts, kept me going and continuing. Those "except" are in my mind, but could not hold me back. There are so many more who contributed to make my 20 month till obtaining a Pathways DTM!
Where should I begin?
Let first tell about Michelle Alba-Lim. She created on an impulse, and hearing us talk about it, Facebook group Pathways Discussion Forum where I worked as Moderator for a year. After, she named us all Admins. But in fact she IS the one. In a year from 5 of us to 7500, I spend many hours each day to answer on the forum or in this blog if it was longer. As this blog, now with more then 92,000 visits, all around the glob, it made me feel Connected, not alone. Michelle also named me Club Sponsor to the new Global Trainer Online, observing that I did name only others when I created Witty Storytellers Online club. She also named me Pathways Guide and Ambassador, for District U, lots of interesting adventures we had all around the world and each other there.
Another pal, with whom we begun end March last year our Pathways journey, Brian Dodd, observed I would need to be Club Coach. Royal Roads Toastmasters in Canada, needed one. But I was living in London. I become the first Club Coach from Afar, and RR got President Distinguished, end June this year. We did encourage and help each other through all our journey in these 20 month.
VP as Education of my online club I got my club Presidential Distinguished, and Secretary of my land club, I helped with Pathways and increase membership. Introduce Pathways in both clubs.
I have to mention also Mathew Kleinosky, from Toronto, my Mentor from early days already, and he continues to be and I continue to learn from him "how to be".
I was not able to break out from the first Icebreaker, as I did not understand that I can not continue with the right arrow as before, and have to use More and Next when I arrive to the questions of the Self Assessment. He flew to my rescue all the way from Toronto! Click click click, and my Project was closed and I could continue. Sometimes, later, he helped as much when at my question about Your Communication style he answered "you are a Pathways Pioneer, find the answer! And I did find answers and learned to search for them in Google! He sensed when I felt rock bottom and send me some goodies. Never felt alone, in these 20 month!
I connected with so many, would be difficult to enumerate all, even if in my notebook, there are a lot more now! Let me add Magda Van Rooyen from New Zealand, who read all my blog posts, a month worth by day, when I asked her to evaluate my blog, the second time around. She was not even yet on Pathways at the time.
I should tell you also of course about the master storyteller, Chief Ambassador of D 27, White E. Paul, with whom we created an world wide storyteller event a year ago, and discovered how each path, can be given a theme, a goal, indifferent almost which path. Because of him and our almost parallel projects, Leadership Development path remains my best memory, and fastest to finish too. It was my third, finished a year ago. He was also that suggested me the name Pathways Story Swap, instead of Pathways Stories Online. Tomorrow, I will relate or speak, not so much about my 20 month feeling so much alive, and so connected, but about the "movement" that begun so well. In less then 2 month, many told their own stories, in a "speech" or a Table Topic answer. And the trend will continue, as my Team decided, to take the lead, one after the other. The DTM Project finishes but my vision continues. Thanks, Coach Carole, Zaldy Co, Assyl Boizhanova!
Thanks to all who created the new Education Program, and even to those who would come in "except" that made necessary to so many to come find answers. With time, the user interface will improve, we will have new Projects and new Paths, and the inconsistencies in the interface will disappear. We will stay connected to each other nevertheless.
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