This my ice breaker speech, delivered for our Toast Masters session last October 21. Read on, and know more about me...
I woke up this morning, trying to get past sleepy mode. I looked in the mirror and asked myself, how will I deliver this icebreaker speech about myself. Will I enumerate my characteristics, my likes and dislikes, or let them know bits and pieces of my life? And I have decided to do them all.
Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I am Ann Margaret Danga-Pardo, 28 years old and I am a mother packer! A Mother because I am a mom of a cute and cuddly 2 year-old daughter, named Trisha Marianne. And a packer, because I work in a packaging company, that is San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corporation, for 4 years, seven months and six days to be exact.
Basically, I am a mother packed with super abilities to juggle my career and family life. A seasoned young lady who has been through an adventurous journey, with ups and downs, bumps and crashes, but always gets back on her feet. When I was young, I have always been eager to grow up fast not realizing the big responsibilities you have to face when you are a grown up. But I am always up for the challenge. As the eldest child among five siblings, I have been taught by my parents to be responsible enough for the whole family. I have to watch for my brothers and sister and be patient enough in dealing with them. I was molded to be compassionate, understanding and hardworking. At times, I may have my mood swings. I guess that is another reason for being a woman and being an artist as well. Being an artist just made me express myself through works of art and pushed my creative limits. I get to know myself better.
As I entered the corporate world, I knew this is another phase of learning. The real battlefield where only the fittest will survive. I started from a small company and jumped from one work to another, trying to find a place to fit in. I worked as a graphic artist, sales, media relations and accounts executive, dealing with different folks of different strokes. I almost thought of giving up, for graduating with honors from college, expectations from me are very high. But then I said to myself, I never dreamed of anything I can not achieve. I worked my way out. Finally, I landed here in San Miguel as an Account Executive under Design Centre here in Packaging, a job that suits me best.
Family for me is my top priority. Although job may be demanding but when it concerns my family, I have to stop everything I have been doing. I work to live and not live to work. Especially now that I have a loving daughter to attend to, I do not want to miss the highlights of her life. I always wanted to be there for her, for you can only see her as a child once and there is no rewind when you missed a scene. From work, I may be tough, but at home, I am soft hearted. I am really sensitive when it comes to family issues, maybe because of my current situation.
But this does not stop me from dreaming, I may have loved and lost but I do not regret the things that happened in my life, for I believe that things have their own purpose. You may not know it now, it may be hard to understand, but things will work what is best for you. I have deep faith with God which I trying to pass on to my daughter.
A good package comes in different shapes and sizes. It was molded and created through good craftsmanship. A package to survive the test of time.
I am Ann Margaret Danga-Pardo and I am a Mother Packer!
