30 Before 30: #13 Speak Publicly

Thanks for sending this picture, Gaby! 

I guess it was as bright up there as it seemed ;)

Jerry Seinfeld's stand up routine includes a bit about how most people's #1 fear is speaking in front of an audience and their #2 fear is death. Therefore, Seinfeld jokes, more people would rather be dead than be in his shoes on stage.

My #1 fear is actually of spiders, but honestly I haven't done much in the way of public speaking. I have spoken at a SOLD event and read at Kevin and Rachel's wedding and shared with a group of students at church and asked John Piper a question in front of a couple thousand people at a conference and made a five second "vote for me" pitch when I ran unopposed for Campolindo HS senior class secretary. So it's not like I have shied away from talking in front of a crowd but I'd hardly consider any of that public speaking. When I made "speak publicly" one of my 30 before 30, it was my way of challenging myself to practice that skill in a more formal setting when the opportunity arose.

Today I joined three other student panelists in a discussion about nursing student leadership at a Public Health Nursing Conference at San Jose State University. I wasn't alone up there, it wasn't a keynote address, and it wasn't even about a topic I felt particularly confident about since I'm new to nursing and have barely scratched the surface of what leadership in nursing should look like. But I was honored to be asked to participate and was excited for such a no-risk opportunity to try a microphone on for size in front of about 150-200 (?) students, faculty, and nurses.

My hands get shaky when I speak in front of people. It's not from being scared. It's more of a nervous energy; my adrenaline setting in. Today I bumbled and botched the first question I fielded, but after that I calmed down and felt pretty good about my part of the discussion. I got a good chuckle from the audience after I told them I worked for the Bush Administration and that there is nothing more unpopular I can think of to admit to a group in the Bay Area when introducing oneself. Ain't that the truth.

And that's about it for this 30 before 30. It's better to practice now and get more comfortable with the whole thing than later when I'm trying to take over someones job in DC and need to sound qualified and poised, right?