Every Saturday morning, I struggle to get up—mostly because of my Friday night’s indulgence. But no matter how sleepy I am, I never regret coming to the meeting. I leave feeling calm and fulfilled every time.
Whether it’s Gary’s heartfelt list of things he’s grateful for, or Jeanne’s touching story about her strict mother who corrected her grammar with love, my heart is always warmed and uplifted by these moments of connection.
Today, we heard Fulbio’s speech on the alarming reality of microplastics—unbelievable facts about how deeply they’ve penetrated our planet and our bodies. I’ve read studies on microplastics before, but this was my first time truly visualizing the scale of accumulation: he showed us a spoon – representing the amount in our brain. The image of that surprisingly large spoon sent a chill down my spine.
It reminded me of Black Mirror, the sci-fi series I like. An eerie image came to mind: one day, these microscopic particles might “wake up” and start moving in and out of our brain cells like tiny worms, slowly eating them away. What will happen to our children? If just 50 years of plastic production has had such an impact, what will the next 50 or 100 years bring? Will the plastic spoon keep growing bigger? Will human heads have to grow larger to hold the same brain capacity—or will our brains shrink or become less active, disrupted by delays and errors in the neural signaling system?
Could microplastics be the hidden culprit behind the rise of neurodegenerative diseases, or the real cause behind ADHD in children?
Toastmasters is a magical place. You never know what you’ll learn—whether it’s life wisdom, heartfelt memories, or scientific revelations. But every time, you leave with some new thoughts, a fresh perspective, and a little more energy and connection.
