I'm a cypher, wrapped in an enigma, smothered in secret sauce. Also, my name is Kev and I own this here website.
The weekend before last, I had to give a speech in front of an auditorium full of people. At the beginning of my speech, I was supposed to give the audience my name, my marital status, what church I attend, and other tidbits of information. Because I’m me, this is how I began my speech:
“Hello. My name is Kevin (last name omitted). And yes ladies…I’m single.”
As recently as five years ago, like a majority of people, I suffered from stage fright. Public speaking ranked in the top two or three of things I loathed to do.
God, in his infinite wisdom, decided, “Kevin, thou shalt become a high school teacher.”
And so I did.
People, nothing will cure you of a fear of public speaking quicker than a job that requires you to get in front of a room full of people who hate your guts day after day and talk to them. And not just any people, but teenagers. And not just talk to them, but teach them. It’s a tough job even for an experienced public speaker.
I equate teaching for the purpose of getting over a fear of public speaking to jumping into a tank of sharks for the purpose of getting over a fear of water. Yes, it’s effective, but you’re probably going to get eaten alive. But if you somehow survive, you’ll be cured.
Well, I survived. And apparently, I’m cured.
Fast forward a few years and I find myself behind a microphone in front of an auditorium announcing to all ladies in attendance that I’m single. And even though the talk was serious in nature and filled with sentimentality, I continued to interject comedic elements throughout the speech.
In five years, I have gone from someone who loathed speaking in public to one that gives a 5-minute speech even though I was asked to only speak for 2 minutes.
I think God’s created a monster. And yes ladies…it’s a single monster.
;-) 10.23.07 at 12:34 pm:
I can’t think of anything in this world worse than public speaking. Or teaching. Or high schoolers. Combine the three and it makes me want to assume the fetal position. I admire your… monstrosity?
;-) 10.23.07 at 6:24 pm:
Well, good for you! I still have some trouble in the first few minutes of a presentation (I teach computing seminars at work). But I’m getting a lot better at not showing my nervousness. It helps that all my seminar attendees are sitting in front of PCs. Takes some focus off me. I teach again on Thursday and if I’m feeling daring I might just show them my blog when I hit the part in my presentation about RSS feeds
;-) 10.23.07 at 7:00 pm:
I used to be bothered by it. But then I took a speech class in ninth grade. That helped. Then in college I played in a band for which I had to be on stage often. And now I’m the music leader for my church. so needless to say I’ve had plenty of opportunities to overcome it.
;-) 10.23.07 at 8:58 pm:
You may not have noticed, but I can BS with the best of them, so I have no worries whatsoever about speaking in public. I gave my dad’s eulogy in front of a few hundred people a few months ago, and no problem.
I agree with you that it’s the same as every fear- if you do it and you don’t die, you realize you’re not going to die the next time you do it.
Aren’t you supposed to picture everyone in the audience in their underwear? Or imagine they are looking at you in your underwear? No, no- you’re just supposed to speak in public in your underwear. Do that, and you won’t be single for long, killer.
;-) 10.24.07 at 9:30 am:
I think God’s created a monster. And yes ladies…it’s a single monster.
Hmmmm. Tell me, does that work as a pick-up line at a bar?
;-) 10.24.07 at 6:18 pm:
I’m afraid of public speaking, but somehow I always forget until I actually get in front of a group of people. Then I think, “Oh yeah, THIS is why I hate this.”
;-) 10.25.07 at 10:51 am:
I think I’m weird because I really enjoy presenting in front of a group. However, I do have to have everything – word for word – printed out in case I forget what I want to say.
Presenting – fine. Teaching, where I don’t know where the conversation might lead – scary! What am I going back to school for? teaching. lol
;-) 10.25.07 at 2:29 pm:
I was so nervous to give my toast at my sister’s wedding that I had to write down prompts in case I panicked and forgot. Sadly, my hands were shaking so badly that I couldn’t hold the paper still. I couldn’t even lift my glass for the actual toast. However, I lifted it hurriedly and emptied the contents as soon as I sat down. Just kidding.
;-) 10.26.07 at 3:04 pm:
Now that you pointed it out, high school teacher is probably up there as the toughest public speaking job. I remember a teacher who was completely destroyed by bad students in our class.
;-) 11.1.07 at 11:23 pm:
You’re no monster, you’re a machine. A lady charming, smooth talking, educational machine.
Admit it.
;-) 11.2.07 at 4:58 pm:
People, nothing will cure you of a fear of public speaking quicker than a job that requires you to get in front of a room full of people who hate your guts day after day and talk to them. And not just any people, but teenagers. And not just talk to them, but teach them. It’s a tough job even for an experienced public speaker.
You’ve got that right!
;-) 7.9.09 at 2:37 pm:
[...] don’t consider myself a public speaker, and yet I once gave a speech that may as well have been an eHarmony commercial to an auditorium full of [...]