I wake up at 4am with a busy brain! My body doesn’t know if it’s coming or going… yesterday I couldn’t wake up on time, and today I wake up too early! Grrrr!
My mind and body clearly have no intention of going back to sleep so I’m out of bed and in front of the computer in minutes. I get a message from my mate Nina, she of the London Marathon fame, and once again I marvel at her triumph over adversity when she lost her mum and her husband within weeks of each other, and her more recent strength and courage; running the London Marathon and giving a sensational speech at a charity ball.
I get to thinking about how steely nerved Nina must be to give such a speech. I hate public speaking and come out in a hot sweat just thinking about it! I’m quite happy to stand up in front of a class of students on a daily basis, but that’s different, they’re friendly and familiar, like an old woolly jumper you know and love. Standing up in front of strangers is, quite frankly, terrifying!
So you can imagine my horror when my boss Andrew asks me to MC today’s graduation ceremony! Aaargh! Jim the resident Master of Cermonies is sick, Andrew has a lame tooth, Agata is busy, and my workmates are all gripped by stage fright, which leaves me to step into the breach. Quelle horreur!
Thank heavens the audience is small. What they lack in numbers they make up for in enthusiasm, which makes for a fun 15 minutes. I think I’m actually more afraid of standing up in front of my colleagues than the students, but you know what, it doesn’t suck so bad! Dare I say that I actually enjoy it? Smiley faces all round. I’m into gear and facing my fears!
