My Shero… Myrt

BY: Michael A. Aun, FIC, LUTCF, CSP, CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame

She hates the nickname today, but growing up, we all had nicknames. My older sister, whose full name is Mary Delle, was affectionately called "Myrt" by her friends and family.

We all had nicknames. My older brother, George, who lives in Lexington, SC, had the moniker "Buzz." I have no idea where either nickname originated but I think he got it because he was born so quickly.

My own nickname was "Yogi" because I had an amazing resemblance to New York Yankee catcher Yogi Berra. For that matter, I also looked a lot like the guy on Mad Magazine, Alfred E. Newman, especially subsequent to the neighborhood bully, Joe Clyde Leaphart, kicking out my front tooth after I put a particularly hard tackle on him during a friendly game of football on South Lake Drive.

Jimmy Prather, another neighbor, took Leaphart out, but the damage was done. I proceeded through most of my teenage years snaggle-toothed.

In the early years, it was great for spitting. I could send a stream further than any kid on the block. Later on, when I became girl conscious, it became a bit of a liability. Nobody wants to go out with a gap-toothed guy. Finally, my cousin, Dr. Joseph "Skeet" Mack, put in a falsie for me, and I regained my dignity.

I mention Myrt this week because she was my inspiration growing up. Mary, as she prefers to be called today, was the oldest of the 11 Aun children. She was more than a "big sister" to me; she was a surrogate mother, a mentor and the reason I'm entered public speaking.

Mary was a great athlete. She played basketball at Lexington High School and was as good as any in her day. She was also a cheerleader and a leader in every respect. I pursued football, baseball and track because Mary was a great athlete.

Mary was President of her school class and was a leader, not just in our home but also in our community. I admired her and looked up to her in so many ways. I ran for the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1980, thanks in part to the confidence and responsibility I learned from Mary.

She was Editor of "The Cat's Paw," our high school annual. I think that's the reason I got interested in writing. I subsequently became the Sports Editor of "The Wildcat," our high school newspaper, and, older brother George, a/k/a "Buzz" was the Art Editor. I suspect we both pursued journalistic interests because Mary led the way. The speed of the leader is usually the speed of the pack.

I later became the Sports Editor at the Lexington-Dispatch News and my articles have appeared in some 60 newspapers and periodicals. My sixth book "Champions Think Differently" is set to be released next year. All my fellow co-World Champions of Public Speaking has joined efforts to create this new book. Thanks, Mary, for inspiring me to write.

And speaking of communications and professional speaking, I wouldn't be in the speaking business had it not been for Mary. She was a participant and winner of the Oratorical Speech Contest and was Miss DAR. Naturally, I had to compete as well. That led to me winning the school and South Carolina Oratorical Speech Contest. Thanks Mary… I wouldn't have been interested had you not led the way. Leaders show by doing.

And I went on to win the World Championship of Public Speaking for Toastmasters International in 1978. Would I have even considered competing against 175,000 speakers from 60 countries throughout the world had it not been for the seed planted by my mentor and big sister, Mary? I doubt it.

When you have 11 kids in a family, a mom and dad can only give just so much time to each kid. Mary became a surrogate mother to many of my siblings. It broke my heart when she decided to pursue the Convent after graduating from high school. It was like I had lost a mother.

Today Mary is no longer a nun, but she remains an inspiration to me and to my family. She has two Masters' Degrees and is a senior professor with DeVry University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where she has taught for over a quarter century. On the side, she has a marriage & family counseling practice.

Mary is my "shero," a word that I have coined that fits her perfectly. She was and is a mentor. I have learned two things about a mentor: They'll tell you what you're doing right in life, but they also love you enough to tell you what you need to change. Thanks Mary, you are my "shero."