I loved being a member of Toastmasters, it gave me such an amazing opportunity to put my brain and my creativity to work

Good evening, distinguished Toastmasters members and guests. To begin, I have a question for you. When I say the word "pit bull," what do you think of first? Is it a mean, aggressive dog that you'd cross the street to avoid, or is it a giant marshmallow of cuddliness that you want to kiss a thousand times a day? I might be a little biased because I own one, but I'd like to present some facts tonight about this mightily misunderstood breed of dog.

Just to start with, "pit bull" is actually more of a label than an actual breed. It covers a few different types of breeds, which include the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Bully, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Staffordshire Terrier, and it describes a dog with a blocky head, and weighs usually between 30 and 100 pounds.

Now, let's get the unpleasant part over with. We all know pit bulls have a bad reputation. This dark history begins in the United Kingdom, where they were used for blood sports like bull-baiting and bear-baiting. I assume it wasn't pleasant for the dogs at the time. As the UK began to ban these kinds of fights, the proponents of dog fighting began to use the dogs to fight each other, since it was cheaper, plus it was a means of gambling and a way to test the quality of their stock. Some dogs were selectively bred to be used specifically for fighting, in fact.

Also, some statistics: in 2016, there were 41 dog bite fatalities, and pitbulls contributed to 22 of those deaths. So a little more than half, which is not exactly a ringing endorsement for the breed. They routinely top lists of breeds involved in fatalities and dog bites. One could argue that there are several contributing factors to this, in that historically, pit bulls have been bred to be more aggressive than other dogs, and that some dog owners knowingly own pit bulls because they want a vicious or misunderstood dog.

A common misconception is that pit bulls have locking jaws, meaning that when they bite, their jaws lock down. This is not true. In a 2008 test conducted by National Geographic, between the pit bull, rottweiler, and German shepherd, the force of the pit bull bite came in third. Just some comfort if you are worried about getting bitten by a pit bull, it may not hurt as much as expected.

Many areas have enacted Breed-Specific Legislation against pit bulls and other dogs that are considered dangerous, which bans the breed entirely from their region or requiring the dogs to be spayed or neutered, or require provisions for housing. Texas does not have breed specific legislation, but on a personal note, try finding a house to rent when you have a pit bull. It is nearly impossible. Such is the stigma of owning a pit bull.

They didn't always have this stigma. Some of you might have heard that they used to be described as "nanny dogs." This is perhaps a myth, as there is no documentation to prove it. However, it is true that in the 19th and 20th centuries, many families had pit bull-type dogs guard their children. Although some of them were being used for fighting during that time, they were also used for such jobs as farming, hunting predators, watching over the kids, and also providing companionship. Many historical figures owned pit bulls as well, such as Theodore Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Thomas Edison, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Fred Astaire, and Humphrey Bogart. During WWI and WWII, pit bulls were used in advertising as a national mascot. It wasn't until the late seventies into the eighties that pit bulls started getting a bad rap, after dogfighting began to see a resurgence. The turning point was probably when a 1987 Time Magazine cover story came out called "The Pit Bull: Friend and Killer." The cover showed a pit bull type dog showing its teeth, with a story and statistics that were unfavorable to the breed. And as most of you have seen in the past couple of decades, pit bulls have essentially not recovered in the eyes of the media and pop culture.

What'd I like you to take away from this speech tonight is that pit bulls are not inherently bad dogs. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, controlled studies have not identified this breed group as disproportionately dangerous. Every dog, including pit bulls, needs training and discipline in order to be a good companion with acceptable manners. It is true that a pit bull puppy can go in either direction--it can be bred to be a good or bad dog, depending on who is doing the training. If someone of questionable character breeds the pit bull to fight, the dog doesn't have a chance to be the well-behaved, well-trained dog a responsible owner has the power to train it to be. But with discipline, patience and time, a puppy, even a pit bull puppy, can and will learn how to be a good dog.

On another personal note, I didn't know much about pit bulls before my boyfriend and I obtained one four years ago. I am a dog lover and, probably naively, believe that every dog is good until proven otherwise, but I will admit that I was nervous about having one in my life. We bought her from a dude on Craigslist--always a good decision, if you're taking notes. We named her Indiana Jones. And although she was a mischievous little girl, as most puppies are, my boyfriend spent a lot of time making her into the good dog she is now. Our only mistake was not socializing her more when she was a puppy, so when she goes outside, she will bark at anything that moves. She doesn't want to hurt anyone or anything--she just wants to talk to them and maybe try to convince them that we never feed her and she needs a treat immediately. But otherwise, she is maybe the best dog I've ever had. She will sleep in the same spot for 12 hours at a time--did I mention she is also the laziest dog I've ever had? She'll let me use her as a pillow for long as I need to. After a ridiculous day at work, nothing makes me feel better than lying next to her and burying my nose in her fur. She gets me when nothing or no one else does. Those of you non dog-lovers in the room won't get that, but I know some of you do.

In conclusion, I'm not trying to convince anyone to pet the closest pit bull you find on the street, or to even trust every dog you see. But maybe consider the next time you hear the word "pit bull," think about the good ones before the bad ones, and know that the intentions of the owner are what makes a dog good or bad in the first place. And maybe, just maybe, give a good dog a second chance. We all deserve that much.

Thank you, good night.

Good evening, fellow toastmasters and guests. Tonight, I want to start off by asking a question, one my stepfather asked me a few years ago; one that baffled me for a long time. Are you happy?

This is a pretty straightforward question, in theory. It should have a simple answer. Yes or no, right? Yes, I'm happy; my life is great and I have no complaints! Or, no, I'm not happy, I have a lot of issues and life isn't easy right now.

Well, when he asked me this question about two years ago, for some reason it sent me into a tailspin. Was I happy? I was visiting my mom in Utah, which I always enjoy. The weather, the mountains, the simple fact that I was on vacation--these things made me happy at that particular moment in time. But back at home, I was not particularly what I'd describe as "happy." I was nearly ten years into a job that I had loved but outgrown, I was desperately unhappy with my appearance, my boyfriend was not in good health, my finances were, shall we say, less than desirable. And I had a hard time seeing a way out of any of this. But at the same time, I wasn't destitute, I had a nice place to live, people who cared about me, and plenty of opportunities open to me. So why wasn't I happy? I had to wonder, is "happiness" really attainable? And if it is, is that what we should be striving for above all else?

I didn't have an answer for my stepdad, and I continued to think about it for months afterwards. And after over-thinking it in every possible way, something started to occur to me. Maybe "happiness" isn't supposed to be an overall feeling. Maybe you aren't supposed to just "be happy." Maybe, just maybe, we're looking so much into the concept of happiness that we're missing what truly makes us happy. And I came to the realization that, at least to me, happiness comes in moments. In little chunks that come to you in the most unexpected of situations. And maybe it's okay to wake up in the morning and want to go back to bed because you don't want to go to work, and it's okay that the rush hour commute makes you want to move to the country and start canning peaches for a living, and it's okay that you aren't completely fulfilled by the life you're living, because of these moments that truly make it all worth it.

I'd like to share a few examples from my own life that brought me to this conclusion. A few months ago, I was once again looking forward to visiting my mom in Utah. There are two ways to get there--a flight from Salt Lake City, which is easy and convenient and a three hour drive to the house, or a flight from Vegas, which is not so convenient and a long four and a half hour drive through scary mountains. But me being me, someone who is known to enjoy playing Blackjack to the fullest, I chose the Vegas route. The plane was scheduled to leave at 5:30 PM, and would have landed in Vegas with enough time for me to have a fun night out. At midnight, me and a bunch of seriously irritated people were still waiting for the plane to arrive. Apparently, there was a freak thunderstorm in Vegas that caused many delays. A thunderstorm! In Vegas! Food vouchers did not help. I was supposed to leave early enough the next day to get to my mom's at a reasonable hour. My gambling window was closing very quickly. However, fast forward through the 2 and a half hour flight, waiting for the baggage and then standing in a very long taxi line.

But in the brief time it took to drive from the airport to the Hard Rock, the windows of the taxi were down, it smelled like the aftermath of a desert rain storm, it was 2:00 AM, and I was in Vegas, what I frequently refer to as my happy place. For those couple of minutes, I was happier than I'd been in a long time. Maybe it was the feeling of freedom or something, I don't know. But that is a moment. It's one moment in a series of moments where I take the time to acknowledge that while life is busy and hard and not always what I thought it would be, that there is always a taxi in Las Vegas with the windows down after a storm at 2:00 AM.

A month or so ago, I went to not one but two Guns N' Roses shows. They were my sixth and seventh GNR concerts I've attended. Of course, I'm happy just to go to these shows and hear all these songs that have been making me happy for more than two thirds of my life, but the real moment of happiness is when the lights go down, the band starts playing, and Axl starts singing. I'm in the same building as the man I've idolized for so long! He's here and so am I! Chuckle if you must, but there is nothing that can replace that feeling for me. And it's not something that can often be experienced.

A few other random moments of happiness I've experienced--playing outside in the rain (there's the rain again) with my boyfriend and our dogs. Driving home from the gym after a good workout, listening to a good song, feeling good about the future. Writing something I'm proud of and being complimented on it. Actually doing something well at work without having to ask fifty people how to do it first--ah, the pleasure of the first year of being in real estate.

So after all those moments, maybe it's safe to say that I am happy. Or at least I'm capable of experiencing happiness and recognizing it as such at the moment it occurs. And I actually find that kind of liberating. It's liberating to think that happiness doesn't come from how successful we are, how many stamps we have on our passport, the make and model of our cars, or how much money we have in the bank. Maybe happiness can be snuggling with your dog by the fireplace with a good book, or holding hands with a significant other while watching a great movie, or hearing your favorite artist live. Maybe that's all we can ask for without asking for too much and getting frustrated or angry or sad because the rest of it is just too hard.

I haven't come to this realization alone--I've had lots of help. Perhaps a bit of a therapeutic setting. My mom, my boyfriend, my friends, etc. And, of course, my stepdad. Who is, actually, not doing so well lately after having a heart attack earlier this year. I'm sure if you ask him what makes him happy, he'll list my mom as number one. The stray cats he feeds out in the fields every night. As a former professor, writing an article and getting it published. A nice day out at the lake and a good dinner afterwards. As someone who doesn't particularly knows how much time he has left, his happiness is certainly measured in moments.

So in conclusion, life can be hard. It's not always going to be one big, giant, happy moment. But I feel like if we can take a second to enjoy the sound of rain beating against the window, or find meaning in the warmth of a doggy belly, or really savor the taste of ice cream that brings you back to a good memory of childhood, maybe these are the things we should rely on to bring us joy, instead of looking for in the places that will always eventually let us down. Maybe it can be the little things. Maybe everything doesn't have to be so hard.

Thank you.