Hari ng Sablay

Recently I was tasked to do the closing remarks at our Case Presentation at the Center for Behavioral Sciences in Cebu and as usual, I had another case of the all too familiar nervousness. Well, it was minor this time- my hands had slight tremors (like some side-effect of an anti-psychotic drug haha!!) as I read the names of the guests, but the whole speech itself was not a complete disaster. I doubt though, if most of the audience noticed since it was near lunch and I gather, we were all hypoglycemic.

I've never been much of a public speaker (I wonder why they keep asking me to do that. Is it because I am among the oldest in my batch? hehe), especially if the audience is new to me or somehow their numbers exceed a hundred.

Some people are perhaps born with a certain gift- an inclination for the arts, a knack for mathematics and spatial perception, or a natural skill of a wordsmith. I was not among those fortunate, in fact I was among another bunch: the "trying hard" category. In the process of "trying hard"- to be a designer or writer or manager or public speaker or adventurer or nurse for that matter- I think I've had more bloopers than the average person.

Doing something one is terrified of can be quite unsettling to say the least, but I do it anyway. Charge it to experience and never mind saving face. Humor helps a lot when I look back at all those things- forgetting lines in front of a thousand people, or turning red as a tomato as you feel prying eyes on you, shamelessly approaching editors and real-life writers, or carelessly assisting a delivery...

I'd like to think one day I'll outgrow all that. But for now, how many more blunders to go? I say, bring it on! ; )