"I Was Howling..."

I received a wonderful compliment. Yesterday  I stopped by the trendy little boutique in GSO called Rag Poets. I'd dropped my book off there two weeks ago and was following up to see if they want to carry it or not. The owner wasn't there, but the woman I had left the book with was there as was another sales woman. When the second woman found out I was the author of the book, her eyes lit up.

"Oh my Gawd," she said in a southern accent. "I sat right down in that chair and read your book and I was howling."  She gave me a measured look. "And I'm a harsh critic." The younger sales girl nodded. They went on to say they'd had "story time," during a slow period in the store and took turns reading my stories out loud to one another.  The harsh critic woman also mentioned she didn't even have cats, but found the stories applicable to anyone who had pets.

Naturally, I was floating on air when I left. There is no feeling like knowing your words made someone laugh out loud. I think what I experience with writing must be like a mini-dose of what stand-up comics experience on stage. There's a feeling of power that comes with making people laugh. It's exhilarating.

But life is not all wines and roses.  I popped in on another store where I'd left my book and really stuck my foot in my mouth.  I had called the store the day before and the woman didn't know who I was or anything about my book. (I had left the book with a college student working the counter who promised to get it to the owner).  She said she'd look around for it.  Since I was in the area yesterday, I thought why not just stop in and see if she's found it and, if not, drop off a new copy.

So I go in and a sales clerk takes me to the manager and I say, "Hi, I'm Dena Harris.  We spoke yesterday on the phone. I'm the one with the book that didn't ring a bell and you had no memory of."  I grinned, to show I could take a joke at my own expense--that my book was so easily forgettable.

Instead, looking embarrassed, the woman said, "I apologize. I've had almost no short-term  memory since my cancer treatments last year."

Sinkhole, God. Please. Swallow me now.

There really isn't a graceful way out of that situation.  Feeling like a complete loser, I apologized for my comment, mumbled something about her looking at the book I'd brought her and I'd be in touch, and I fled the store.

I don't know about you, but I'm thinking "no sale." Will I ever learn??

My Speech: A Qualified Success

I had early inklings my speech today would not go as planned. First was the fact I couldn't seem to memorize it.  Let me clarify that I never memorize a speech word for word. But I always know where I'm heading and one sentence always flows logically to the next for me.  But practicing this speech, I couldn't keep my transitions straight.  Plus, I switched to a new ending this morning and was trying to make sure I remembered how to segue into that.

So I give my speech and almost from the word go, I blow it. Blow it as in I wasn't delivering the speech I had prepared.  I was delivering the lines, but the order was all wrong.  I was thinking ahead, trying to remember what came next instead of paying attention to what I was saying. Then I got to a place and did something I have never done before in a speech...I blanked.  

That's right.  Just a vast whiteness inside my mind.  It wasn't so much I couldn't remember the words as it was I had messed myself up by going out of order with my thoughts.  So when I got to near the end of speech--ha ha--I had already delivered that section. What to do? My mind went blank.

I did exactly what I teach my public speaking students to do...I turned around and calmly walked back to the podium, glanced at my notes to get a bearing, then continued. (Thank God I had my notes.  I haven't brought notes to the podium for a speech in over two years. But a little voice inside me whispered "just in case."  Hooray for tiny little voices. And hooray for me for listening to it).

Overall, the pause wasn't tragic.  It was still a decent speech. And oddly, I find myself almost elated.  I'm thrilled I could mess up that bad and still pull off that good a speech.  If I had panicked, it could have been a disaster. So that Toastmaster's training has paid off. It's like I tell my students--you'll know you messed up or skipped a major section, but your audience doesn't know what you have planned and they'll never know the difference. 

I got good feedback and advice from the group for the next contest, which is March 28th. "More emotion" is what I was told. (Ha.  Vulcans don't do emotion).  I feel better about my speech content and topic, which I was doubting.  Everyone agreed it was a good match for the contest. Now I just need to restructure my speech so that it flows for me and is easier to remember.

I'm just so pleased.  Normally I'd be gnashing my teeth and mentally berating myself for the goof, but I feel good about the experience.   Toastmasters--I strongly recommend the group to anyone who thinks they can't do public speaking.

I Wish I Knew How To...

...sew my own clothes.

...pick out a good bottle of wine.

...push myself harder in my workouts.

...write a children's book that would sell.

...cook a gourmet meal.

...paint with watercolors.

...apply eye-makeup.

...find homes for all the stray dogs and cats in the world.

...write an eye-catching press release.

...refinish furniture.

...speak a second language.

...travel light.

...make a soufflé.

...do a handstand.

...grow flowers.

...return a library book on time.

...speak cat.

What do you wish you knew how to do?

International Speech Contest

I'm competing this Wednesday at club level in the Toastmasters International Speech Contest.  Or rather, I was competing. I received an e-mail this weekend from our V.P. of Education and it seems I am the only one giving a speech.  Our V.P. of Education was supposed to compete, but he hasn't been able to find the time to pull together and practice a speech. And another woman was going to compete but she just found out she's ineligible as she hasn't yet given 6 speeches out of the basic manual.  So it's just me speaking.  

 I only just pulled together a speech yesterday afternoon and am going to spend time today and tomorrow practicing it.  I don't think it's one of my better speeches.  Topics for the International Speech Contest tend to use less humor and focus on "big" topics--personal issues, politics, overcoming obstacles, etc. I'm speaking on a personal issue but I'm not a huge one for letting my feelings show through, so I'm a little worried my serious topic will be delivered in too "upbeat" a tempo and confuse the audience.

Since I "win" at club level, I'll be competing next at area or district level.  I can never keep them straight. But the competition goes on to state, then national, then International, as the title implies. I'd be pleased to make it one more round after club level.  But as I said, I'm not sure my speech is up to par and I don't have a strong inclination to fix it.  At least not yet. I'm sure I'll tinker with it after our club competition and people have a chance to give me feedback.

It's going to be tough sticking to my work today.  It's beautiful outside and I've opened the windows to let in the fresh air.  I've got a lot of work to get to in the next 2 days though, so I really can't afford to waste much time.  I might sneak out for a 15-minute walk at lunch and if it's still nice when Blair gets home, perhaps we'll walk then as well.

Meanwhile, it's time to practice that speech.