Ozlilly's musings...

Where’s your article about what did you do during the corona crisis?
Well it starts in my March journal. I have a document for each month and now we are already in April. In my mind, I have so much to say and share, so many ideas.
If I go back to the beginning I will never get to the end. So it may be better to just start where I am.
We are in April. I just watched the Toastmasters meeting which was held tonight via zoom. I told A- last week that I was feeling a little jealous. I feel like the mother who has pushed the children out of the nest and now they have all flown away!
For years I tried to get somebody else to take over the recordings and off and on our members have been practising with the video camera I bought for the club in 2012. Two thousand and twelve! Eight years ago. While President of the VIC Toastmasters Club I bought multi-media equipment and “we” began recording the meetings.
Last year I set up the VIC Toastmasters YouTube Channel. A few years ago I set up a gmail account to maintain a record of our correspondence. It’s been quite a challenge what with trying to communicate effectively and respect privacy and then obey data protection considerations as well.
For myself, I’ve committed to transparency with my conviction of the ultimate good winning in the end. I know, that is not so simple and we have to be responsible and if you are fine with me using your name in my blog, please do tell me so. And if you are paranoid and need more protection, that’s fine too. Do feel free to let me know. I’m not just talking about Toastmasters.
This is my blog and I do life.
I’m the great listener and I’m learning to become the story-teller.
I’m all about learning by doing.
I am the retiree who remembers how we used to do things and knows some of the stuff we have hidden away in our archives on the ninth floor of the F Building.
Yes, so now we’re talking about Toastmasters and new beginnings and Pathways right? Things have changed. Things will change. Things must change.
Or are we talking about Corona virus? Things have changed. Somebody else is uploading the videos to the club YouTube Channel!
When I decided not to join the meeting today, after a number of very disappointing zoom meetings the last few days, I made the commitment to use the time to write my blog instead.
Yes, that’s a good place to start. We have a club website and no current content on it. So that’s almost like my blog right? Well, no, not really. I have already kicked out the Toastmasters baby out of my nest. “Somebody” will have to either update the website or get a better one or delete it. I’m still paying annual fees for it so I’ll be happy to discover how to deal with that.
Wow. Who would have thought that retirement is so busy? So much to do. And not just Toastmasters.
I got a call from M- in Spain last week. Now this is where I was going to write my blog about all my zoom meetings. One of them was with M-. She asked me for help. C- our UN WFWP president wanted to host a Zoom webinar and had asked M- to organize it. M- asked me for help. I had already attended the online training with Toastmasters about how to hold a zoom meeting.
I noticed at our Sunday service that hardly anybody had a profile picture when they turned their cameras off. Then I uploaded a picture with Josef because we also do some meetings together.
I can’t believe how lousy our internet connection is right now. Or maybe it’s just on his netbook? I reset the router and suddenly we both had no internet!
Remember I was telling you about Navy CIS? Well Agent Gibbs, the boss has lots of young techies working for him. They get carried away with all their technical explanations and he insists on plain language which he can understand.
I’m a bit in between. I get a lot of that stuff and am happy to help my older colleagues. I mean I managed to make that video on how to upload a YouTube video. That was a great learning by doing assignment for me.
And this blog. This is my expression of my absolute conviction that somebody out there, reading this is getting something that they need. Like maybe a bit of courage to try something new. Maybe an inspiration to watch some YouTube learning videos. Maybe even a push to express yourself in a new way, to reach out to somebody who could benefit from what you have, what you’ve experienced, what you think.
So, I’ve spilled the beans about what I want. I am a motivational speaker and therefore a motivational blogger.
I exude energy inspiring people with my Aussie style and carefree nature.
Beware. Sometimes I hurt people because I am very direct and don’t beat around the bush. I have an eye for detail and a compulsion to correct typos and spelling mistakes. I can’t give you feedback on a document until I have corrected or at least identified, the spelling mistakes!
My husband and I are very different from each other. We were engaged in 1980, blessed in 1982 and married in 1988. We met in America; in New York to be precise.
We came to Austria in 1988 where our five sons were born and have now grown up.
Is that enough bait to catch your attention?
Yes, I love telling stories. And I love listening too.
So this was going to be about how in March on some days I was in four zoom meetings in one day. And now in April I’ve given up because it is just too frustrating!
Hey Aon! What’s wrong with your service? Or is it really because now everybody is still at home and stealing my bandwidth? At least I can still upload and watch some things later.
Enjoy.