Voices. In my head and in front of you

I started this blog back in 2010.  As of the last post I posted, just a few days ago and never really shared anywhere but everywhere in the mainstream of people who may be looking in on me from many public talks I have given,  2 eyes have seen it.   Thank you for looking in.  I hope at the very least you'll see this one.  My writing was used during my rebellious teen years living in a functionally dysfunctional family and that continued to the first few years with this condition but life post-MS and mental health treatments took some of that skill as well as my confidence as I took care of myself.  Years ago, the MS society helped me with a membership to Toastmasters.  A particular chapter of that international organization is still is connected somewhere back along my personal timeline.  I managed a blog for them in my past.  That was around the start of this blog as I began to work on my technical Blogging skills.  I have always thought that a good speaker is a good writer, and I have been told I am a great speaker and my writing at times has impressed, inspired and directed.  The MS Society was willing to continue paying my membership to Toastmasters but I refused.  The limited times I spoke there, once or twice it came back and I realized my voice again in sporadic passionate speeches themed towards that I confidently have knowledge of.  It's not good at all times but when I need it, it's powerful and strong.

My voice training had occurred in my youth.  Around 15, I joined up with a new chapter of a Royal Canadain Sea Cadet Corps that began in Ft St James in around 1981 and died around 1992.   By 1983 I was a Senior Cadet in charge of a Division of 20 or more cadets and in 1984, I aged out and often led a group of 40 or more cadets on and in Parades and at Sea a couple of times on a ship, my position was a "Sea Training Officer" long before there was standardised training for it.  In around 1989 I left that Sea Cadet Corps and drifted to Alberta where I had limited exposure as a civilian volunteer with the Army Cadets there and then through Vanderhoof with Air Cadets to Prince George with Sea and Navy League Cadets till my mental health made me leave after 22 years.   My writing left after the Mental Health sessions were completed in 2005 when I became "sane" and quit tobacco use in August.
 
Why would I need to have voice training that would take money from our MS community in my adulthood?  By 2005 I had found my place as the facilitator of the Self Help group in a then chaptered city.  It caused me more internal conflict and a little more of my voice left with the stolen confidence.  I began Emceeing for the Handy Circle Resources Society around that time, by 2015 I was Emceeing all their events and CANDO.  I had been on local TV as well, interviewed a couple of times for accessibility stuff while I sat on the Advisory Committee for Accessibility.  I have spoken on a couple of radio interviews as well for CFIS 99.3 Fm doing business as the Prince George Power Mobility Society.  All that happened after 2010, it's 2017 as I type.  It's weird when I think of it.  My confidence returns when I stand in front of an audience, 99% of the time.  I have Emceed at many events, as a volunteer most of the time.  The first couple of times I messed up but have been complimented lots.  I am often medicated on THC and CBD when in front but that's to deal with the pain of standing,  a constant deterrent to my confidence.  All my speaking I have done, with the exception of Cadets, has been inside.  My next public speaking engagement will be a milestone moment in my career of public speaking.  I was approached by a contact of mine, who first saw me as a Cadet leader and was impressed.

I had spoken at her home business and wellness shows a few times and she attended many of the events I emceed for Handy Circle.  I was Emceeing at the CANDO 2018 event at Prince George's accessible Civic Centre in early May.  I used my voice well, billing the Volunteer time to my MS community.  My contact approached me just after the event ended and invited me to Emcee her new event to be held on June 3rd, 2018.  I contacted her 2 weeks ago to confirm.  Sure enough, I will be speaking at Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park on June 3rd from shortly before 10am. This will be inspiring for me as I am building a business plan with help from Make A Change Canada through their Business Abilities course.  I am a very recent graduate of their "Internet Development for Entrepreneurs" (IBDE) course.  Yes, I do websites and WordPress setup and management as well as Public Speaking.  Check out my business goals here behind this link!.  That website will be hosting my client's questions about SEO and other design options and problems that arise

MS Awareness month 2018 in Prince George

Whola cow, what a year this year.  Our Facebook Group page has grown fast, with 31 members as I type so far and gathering MS'ers around the city.  Tomorrow, the MS Walk will happen in Prince George on May 27th, 2018, you still have time to register!  Several members of the Prince George community were involved in the planning and event preparation.  It was very cool to see the energy a group of MS Affected individuals can do collectively that will be displayed on May 27th, 2018.  To cap off that evening, Mr. PG which is located at the crossroads of British Columbia Canada, will be lit in Red starting that evening till the 31st.  This will be for a couple of reasons.  One, it will be symbolic to the world that passes and the contacts who will see the pictures they post.  They will know the unique relationship that exists in Northern BC Life with MS.  We have a "partnership" of sorts between the medical support at Northern Health's MS Clinic at UHNBC (toll free number 1-888-967-6774), through the individual communities where MS lives in Northern BC and the Yukon.  They are connected to the MS Society of Canada's Northern Regional Chapter which is connected to the same communities.  Those two sides are symbiotic with the collective community of affected persons in those communities connected through this connection, which includes staff and volunteers of the society and the clinic in those respective Northern communities where they live and work.  It can be represented as a triangle of support.  We all know our places in the Global community and that is one aim of Mr. PG's color display as May 30th is World MS day! Another aim of the lightup is to commemorate the end of Canadain MS Awareness month 2018 in Prince George.