Bravery Discovered

Bravery Discovered

Contributed by Pauline Mansfield of the Capitol City Legacy Builders club

Mahmood Thompson came to our club meetings to accompany his mother, who considered joining our club. He never spoke or interacted with our members and sometimes seemed preoccupied or distracted. Then Mahmood started to come without his mother, still very quiet but seemingly interested in our club dynamics.

Much to our surprise, Mahmood eventually joined our club, at first just observing and leaving quickly after each meeting. Then bravely, he stepped forward to give his first speech. We discovered from his Ice Breaker that he has Asperger syndrome, a form of autism characterized by difficulties with social interaction, repetitive speech and awkward mannerisms. People with this syndrome often find interacting with others overwhelming, as evidenced in his next couple of speeches. Sometimes Mahmood stood frozen in his thoughts before he could continue with his speeches. But, admirably, he continued to volunteer to give speeches, each time gathering more confidence. Not only did Mahmood raise our awareness about this rare condition, he increased our understanding, patience and tremendous admiration for someone who pushed through his difficulties like no one we had ever seen in our Toastmasters club history.

Amazingly, Mahmood has soared in his participation and interaction with others in our club. He regularly volunteers for roles and recently brought the house down when he delivered a humorous speech. He continues to grow in leaps and bounds, and Capitol City Legacy Builders continues to embrace every challenging moment he encounters on his incredible journey.

We applaud you, Mahmood Thompson, for your bravery and determination to move beyond your fears and challenges.