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Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 2:35 AM

Speaking with Confidence

Speaking with Confidence
By Suzann Gilliland Peterson --  Do you ever feel that you’re left out of a conversation?  Do you think you have nothing to contribute?  Have you forgotten the text of your presentation?  Welcome to my world!  Or, I should say, my world of the past. Five years ago I joined Oasis Toastmasters here in Fallon to improve my marketing and public relations skills.  It had been more than 24 years since I’d spoken in public.  I was rusty.  I knew about Toastmasters and found Oasis, a club right in my own back yard.  I joined. Fear of standing in front of club members to talk for even one minute kept me from participating in meetings.  But with patience and encouragement from my peers, I finally took the podium.  I was terrible!  My initial speech was 14 minutes over time.  I was so nervous I forgot what I wanted to say and all speech organization took a holiday.  I was so disappointed in myself.  But in that verbal mess, my evaluator found a handful of skills he could praise (I certainly didn’t see any).  He also gently pointed out one or two of the many mistakes I made and gave me suggestions on how I could improve.  That opened a small window of hope for me. I stuck with the Toastmasters process and found myself improving my communication and leadership skills month by month.  I became more confident in my ability to speak before an audience and to interact personally with individuals.  One day I realized I was having fun! I’m not alone.  Oasis members come from all walks of life … business owners, managers, employees, retirees, military, housewives, students.  All of us seek to improve our ability to connect positively with others and to do so in a supportive environment.  Today I can confidently field any topic and speak with ease and enjoyment whether before an audience or one on one. I cordially invite you to join us at one of our meetings to see if you agree that this experience is mutually beneficial.  We meet every Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:00 in the Highland Village Estates dining room, 570 N. Sherman St.  Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 775-217-7223 or at [email protected].  I look forward to sharing the experience.       Sign up to receive updates and the Friday File email notices. Support local, independent news – contribute to The Fallon Post, your non-profit (501c3) online news source for all things Fallon.

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Comment author: Mike HinzComment text: I knew Sam as a member of our church growing up. He always had a warm smile, a kind word, and a great sense of humor! He will be great missed!Comment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:57 AMComment source: Obituary -- Samuel Bruce WickizerComment author: Mike HinzComment text: Great teacher, great coach, but even a better person!!! Rest in peace Mr. BeachComment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:53 AMComment source: Obituary -- Jack Victor Beach, Jr.Comment author: Mike HinzComment text: I had Mrs Hedges for First Grade at Northside Elementary in 1969. I still, to this day, remember her as a wonderful teacher…one of my favorites!!Comment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:29 AMComment source: Obituary - Nancy Marie Hedges C Comment author: Carl C. HagenComment text: What are MFNs and PBMs ?? ............................ From the editor: This is a very good question and we apologize for not catching that wasn't in there. We reached out to the writer/submitter and got this info back...hope it's helpful. PBM: Pharmacy Benefit Managers are pharmacies that are owned by insurance companies. (CVS is one.) They negotiate with drug makers to get reduced pricing for medications, but they historically have not passed along those savings to patients. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/pharmacy-benefit-managers-staff-report.pdf MFN: Most Favored Nation pricing is a policy that means a country agrees to offer the same trade concessions (like tariffs or price reductions) to all member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO). When applied to pharmaceuticals, it could disrupt global access, deter innovation, and obscure the deeper systemic issues in American health care. https://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2025/05/22/the-global-risks-of-americas-most-favored-nation-drug-pricing-policy/Comment publication date: 6/23/25, 7:47 AMComment source: L E T T E R TO THE EDITOR
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