Keeping My Cool

Grace under pressure, or something like that

I fancy myself an unflappable speaker. I give lectures and talks all the time, and I simply don’t get rattled by it. I think I’m just missing that gene, or hormone, or nerve system that gets jiggled by standing in front of a group of people; thank goodness, since being a writer these days demands at least a little bit of public performance. Most of the time I feel like audiences are on my side, so even if I fumble or giggle or glitch, they are silently cheering me on, eager to see me get my balance back and forge ahead. If you’ve ever been in one of those audiences, thank you!

Photo by Guillermo Latorre on Unsplash

I’ve had some challenges along the way. Once, an older gentleman sitting in the front row dozed off during my talk. This happens: The room is dim, the chairs are plush, and the sound of someone talking can be soporific, even if the speaker is dynamic. So having an audience member fall asleep doesn’t faze me. In this particular case, though, the fellow began snoring. Loudly.