“Aren’t you nervous?”
This question gets asked a lot before I have to present something. Specifically, something big.
I looked the person in the eyes, did my usual weird pursing of my lips that tends to favor shifting over to the left side of my mouth, and gently shook my head.
I don’t get nervous before presentations.
I either know what I am presenting, or I don’t. If I know it, there is no reason to waste energy being nervous. If I don’t know it, it will end up however it ends up. And there is also no reason to waste energy being nervous.
I tell the person this. They look at me confused, indicating without words that this is not normal behavior.
That I don’t exude normal behavior.
I put the energy in to know what I am presenting. I respect my audience enough to take the time to know what I’ve pulled together, and will present it confidently, Even if it misses the mark of what they want. But I don’t have time to overanalyze. In advance or afterwards.
So I don’t.
Perfunctory.
That’s a favorite word of mine. And I use it to describe myself often. My behavior. But it could also be described as verbose.
Anyway…
I traveled for work this week, to a new place I hadn’t been before in my life. And I enjoyed it. The charm of the place. And those I have told where I went are surprised, There seems to be an expectation that based on my where my travels have taken me in the past 15 years that I would not be taken with such a place.
But it was quiet. Lots to do. But people were kind. And everything was very green.
I even got to spend one evening on a boat in a lake, under a very full moon.
I guess I can’t be figured out. I don’t get nervous before presenting in front of a large group… And I find domestic travel to the middle of the country to be lovely.
thepsychonautsjourney.com 