THE STORY OF ARVIND SRIVASTAV

The building block of certainty is uncertainty, one cannot pin point things accurately, one cannot say something with certainty. Orbital is defined as that region in space where electron is found for 80 % of the time. Newton’s laws of motion (S=ut+gt²/2) cannot defined the location of electron at a particular point of time. Life too seems to be a game of probability. Nothing is certain what will happen when and what will be our course after any event.

Out of the many hobbies in my life. Music and songs are my friends in solitude. They work equally well in solitude or  in a company. During the weekend I would visit Arvind Srivastav my colleague at the office. He was a greater fan of music as compared to me. We would spend quality time. He would explain me the nuance, the beauty and the charismatic touch of music. It was the best thing that could happen in Jubail during the weekend.

It was the first week of May 2009, I asked him “What is Toastmasters?”. I receive mails regarding Toastmasters. He told me that he already was a member of a club and requested me to be his guest for the upcoming meeting at the Elite Toastmasters Club. On the meeting date the eagerness to be there at the meeting was tiding.  To see something new, to watch new faces, to make new friends and to build bridges of friendship were the things I was looking forward to. 

At the venue I was a stranger lost into the meeting activities. I borrowed a piece of paper and started taking notes. I could still remember TM Makarand delivering his prepared speech, a speech about a tragic incident. During the club members’ installation ceremony Arvind Srivastav stood proudly displaying the Membership pin. Few face I became familiar with were TM Makarand, TM Varesh Patel, TM Rajeev Pillai and TM Santosh John. The meeting really impressed me. My inner voice was constantly seeking my attention. It said let the creativity in me, bloom. Like a child pleading for a chocolate, it questioned me “What better place could you offer me other than his TMI stage”. I had only one option left. “To agree”. I expressed my desire to break the ice and deliver my first speech. The Toastmasters in technical terms denote it as CC-01. It is wisely said “The journey of thousand miles begins with a single step” I had decided to take the first step; I had decided to deliver my first speech, more specifically in my journey towards being a DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster).

While travelling by a train, new passengers join us at every station and at every station few passengers leave us. Likewise I met TM Arvind on my Toastmastering journey for some time. After that meeting Arvind never came to the meeting and I never missed a meeting. At every station I have met new faces, these new face have made my Toastmastering journey memorable. Next time when we meet  I will tell you a new story. A story of TM Santosh John.