It's all downhill - really!

My name is Susan & I suffer from road rage. Some of you here tonight know my car, and for those who don’t here’s a picture. As you can see she’s not only little in size, but in consumption & she also has pink bits. But don’t let any of this fool you, this little girl, all 1100cc’s, is mighty.  Faithful maintenance by the omnipotent Tony means she runs at her best, making this itty bitty putt putt car a wolf in sheep’s clothing - in the hands of a competent driver. We’re told we all believe we’re competent drivers & that we out drive our skills. And from my fortnightly trips to Wellington for endless inconclusive meetings, I can attest that most of you indeed do & my dash-cam proves this. I had to get a dash-board-camera, no one would believe just what I am subjected to. I understand others often don’t find driving as naturally easy as I do. We all know these kinds of situations, some of you probably from the side I rail against. The ‘safe dr...

This evening I’m going to make you all feel uncomfortable, possibly very uncomfortable, and I’m not going to apologise for that. Tonight I want to persuade you to change the way you interpret what you see and hear in our society and I want you to go and share these changes. This is a controversial topic. It’s not going to be easy for you to hear and it wasn’t easy to write. Many times last week I considered changing my topic or opting out of speaking. But I was listening to Jim Mora’s Panel and a panel guest raised this very issue, not only in horror that the comedian used a rape joke in his act, but that most of the audience roared in laughter. Yes, rape isn’t supposed to be what nice people talk about... or do. But it’s conservatively estimated that one in four men commit rape in their lifetime. That seems a stretch until you consider rape as an absence of consent, because that’s what it is. My quest is to challenge your social norms and it is these social norms we all hav...

Toastmaster's Icebreaker Speech 10 April 2014 While I can comfortably opine many topics, largely at ease among strangers and friends, this expectation to speak of myself has succeeded in striking me with dread. So I figured you’ll get an insight of me if I speak about people, because I’m one too. Truth is I’m just like you, just like all of you here at Toasters, in Hokianga, in all New Zealand. Complex. Often we hear of people described as being like an onion.  I’m unsure if that means the more layers we peel back the more tears there are, but it’s supposed to be about getting to the heart of the matter. So, people are supposed to be like neatly layered onions. That calls for a Tui, Yeah right!  Maybe after  they've  been through the mincer. Along with some beetroot, broccoli, a peach or two and possibly even some sour grapes. People are more like a splatter painting.  A rich intense impasto thick skinned and calloused in some areas, thin...