If you follow this blog or know anything about me you know that I work on a college campus and the majority of my employees are students. We have quickly built strong working relationships. Today, two of my seniors were covering the desk while I was getting ready to leave. They were working side by side on a challenging project that was due by 8 am tomorrow. I shared with them how I was planning to speak at a public hearing on my town's budget and that I was very nervous. They both offered words of encouragement ... one said "just tell yourself you are talking to a group of friends"
I stopped to ponder that for a few seconds...I was trying to decide if that might be a legitimate approach.
Then she quickly added "just don't do that thing where you picture them naked, that never works well, you just end up laughing" I agreed and said my good byes and headed home.
Fast Forward to later, at first it looks like I won't make it then Paul blows in at 6:25 and says "go, go ... you can still get there"
I grab my prepared words, I find a place to park and even a seat near a friendly face in the gallery. I am late so I am not on the official "list" of people to be called to the podium. They work through that list of people and then the Mayor asks "Is there anyone else that would like to speak?"
The moment of truth .. I raise my hand ... a few others get called before me but then it is my turn. I walk to the podium, lean into the microphone and say "My name is Heather Romanski and I live ...."
I didn't think of them as friends or anything really. I tried to refer to my paper as little as possible, I tried to look at each face at least once, and I smiled when appropriate. Quite frankly, there were moments when I could hardly hear myself talk because my heart was pounding so hard that I thought my head would literally explode in the Council Chambers ... wouldn't THAT have been a headline. I just kept reading and way before my 3 minutes were up I was thanking them and heading back to my seat.
At least I didn't picture them naked ... I'm not sure my heart or head could have taken that!
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