Fear that no one will show up.
Fear that people will show up. Fear that people will walk out. Fear that I will forget something important while speaking. Fear that someone will ask a question I can't answer. Fear that I will be wasting someone's time. Fear that I will be wasting VSLA's money. Fear of attending a conference alone. Fear that I will be boring. Fear that somehow I won't be enough. That last fear is a fear that has eroded so much of my life. But it is a fear I am learning to put to the side. As I left the hotel Saturday at 5:00, I rode the escalator down to the lobby. It was empty by now. The conference had ended at 12:30. Three women stood at the bottom of the escalator looking up at me. I was pretty sure the two of them had been sitting front and center during my talk. As the escalator brought me closer, I could see their smiles growing bigger and bigger. "There she is," the one woman said as she turned to her district's reading teacher. "This is the speaker I was telling you about." The woman who hadn't been at my presentation said, "I heard you were amazing. I had to go to another session, but I wish I could have gone to yours." Those women gave me a priceless parting gift. For them, I had been enough. Thank you.
8 Comments
Melanie C Meehan
3/21/2023 06:01:00 am
The repetition is perfect in this post as it builds the tension and the intensity of it, and yes, presenting is full of fears. Sounds like you had people, they stayed, and if you forgot anything, you filled the time with good stuff!
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3/22/2023 06:35:26 pm
Hi Stacey,
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3/21/2023 06:15:19 pm
Your single lines paint those feelings we all know (at least I think we all know- I do!) Then you paint us a picture of the ladies at the foot of the escalator and a smile growing. Then a few lines of dialogue. What a great moment!
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3/22/2023 06:37:23 pm
Hi Fran,
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3/22/2023 07:51:17 am
The balance of your uncertainty and the affirmation of your attendees makes for the perfect slice! The repetition at the beginning shows how much you care about making this a great experience for your audience—and it sounds like you more than delivered!
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3/22/2023 06:38:59 pm
Hi Sarah,
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Slice of Life ChallengeMy 2023 one little word goal is PLAY. So, one of the ways I'm playing is by joining in the Two Writing Teachers' Slice of Life Story Challenge. My first post will be March 1st. Happy reading! ArchivesCategories |