If You Don't Use It, You Lose It

This little phrase can apply to so many things. For me, today it applied to public speaking.

Madel and I dropped off JennThai at the briefing for the PASS so-cal outreachers. We had planned to just bring her there, and maybe say hi to the handful of the older outreachers who we knew.

Somehow we were placed at the beginning of the agenda for the briefing. Madel and I had to introduce ourselves, then provide advice to the thirty or so outreachers, most of whom had know idea who we were (other than the anecdotes they had been told by seniors and juniors: i.e. hella on a steep and the Puerto Nuevo outreach trip).

While at Cal, I had more than enough opportunities to perfect my oratory skills: Outreaches, running meetings, speeches at events, and more. It got to the point where I was absolutely comfortable getting up in front of a room of forty people or more, whether I knew them or not. Like I was speaking to an old friend.

However today at the outreach briefing, I bombed. I stuttered. I forgot my thoughts. I wasn't smiling. I was fidgety. It was a train wreck. I was totally embarrassed. I wanted a do-over.

I realize now that I haven't been in a setting like that since I graduated, almost two years ago. Being thrown into that situation, having to provide words of knowledge as a wise alum right on the spot, made it that much more difficult.

Sigh. Ah well. Just gotta try and smile about it I guess. Good luck outreachers! :D