It Went Well!

I couldn’t sleep the night before the event, and I woke up in the morning rehearsing my talk to myself at breakfast.

The venue was beautiful – a building that was once a private home with an amazing view through some trees to the Baltic Sea.  The house was that 50’s retro modern chic – lots of wood paneling and huge windows bringing the outside in.  They had lots of art pieces (two Henry Moore statues for example) and a lovely collection of Mayan archeological treasures. 

There were probably about nine journalists there.  As I was waiting my turn to speak my tummy kept clenching and unclenching, it was agonizing.  I don’t even have a real fear of public speaking!  Can you imagine what it would be like for people who have a real phobia of public speaking?  I think it would simply be unovercomeable.  Completely incurable. 

I didn’t imagine the audience naked, nor any of the other suggestions I received via email or comments (which? I love!  Keep ‘em coming).  I just did the old-fashioned thing – tried to relax my sweaty palms, made a little joke when I stood up, and tested out my voice during the greeting.  It went fine!  I had rehearsed so many times I could just concentrate on making eye contact and speaking slowly. 

BIG SIGH OF RELIEF.

Ok and now you can all make fun of me about the following.  I had a one-on-one interview with a journalist after the event, and she wanted to take photos.  Of me.  In a grocery store.  Leaning into a fruit display.  Oh god I cant even write that without some shame burning on my face! 

This was all Tuesday.  Wednesday someone handed me a copy of the Finnish Daily Newspaper with my stupid mug in the pages.  Aaahhh!   I see my name in print a couple times but since its all in Finnish I can’t understand a thing of what I am supposed to have said.  And don’t even ask, ‘cause I am NOT posting the article.  Just picture me, self-conscious, with a crooked smile, leaning into a pile of bananas.  Enough said!

Comments

[Alexandra]

Joke, I love your blog! Echt, ik heb mij net een kriek gelachen met uw bananenfotoverhaal! Heb het zelfs luidop voorgelezen aan Eva hier op 't werk. Ha!!!
Ik heb een paar jaar geleden in Finland ook zo'n kranthistorie meegemaakt: we zagen een krant liggen met een grote foto van prins Filip MET EEN MEISJE! En alles in het Fins, dus ONverstaanbaar! En wij ons maar afvragen: "heeft prins Filip nu echt een lief of hoe zit dat!?!?" :-)

[Ali G]

i'm sorry, joke -- i think you owe your loyal readers the chance to see the photo of you and the bananas...