Sunday Confessional: Public Speaking

Day 365

Well here it is. My last official blog entry. This last year has sped right on by. Since I am discontinuing (at least for the time being) Sunday columns I will celebrate this final one with another Sunday Confessional and one that is quite fitting for today.

Today I have to speak in Church and I couldn't be happier...

Wait, what?

Seriously, you heard read me right the first time. Okay, okay, I am lying just a teensy bit. I am not a huge fan of speaking in Church and I am not all that happy that I have to but I do like to speak publicly.

Can you dig it?!

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld had a real funny bit on public speaking:

According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.

Public speaking doesn't phase me all that much. Don't get me wrong, I still get nervous as all out and I did shake and I sweat to death. But the act of public speaking doesn't freak me out. But it is not the thrill or the rush of having a group of people listen and hang on every word that I love (although it is pretty close), I love the preparation. I love piecing together the talk, I love finding small interesting facts, I love including my own personal experiences. It is like having this huge puzzle that only you can figure out.

I am not the type of person that likes to write out word-for-word what I want to say. I am the type that likes to just have the Cliff Notes in front of me and then I wing it. If I feel that the audience needs more, I can give them more. If they catch the drift, I can cut parts of my speech/talk right out and move along. I usually over-prepare and I end up cutting out tons of what I want. But I would rather have that problem that not having enough.

The only thing that I fear when I speak in public is that the words get clogged in my brain and I don't say what I want to say. I fear the dreaded Brain Fart. That it will sound stupid and it will stink up the joint. I can usually eliminate that by practicing and timing myself and jotting down key words on a note card or single piece of paper.

Usually this works out good for me. I guess we will find out tomorrow after I give my talk in Church.

I love it when a speech comes together.

That feeling of satisfaction when it is all completed is one of my favorite feelings and one that will last for awhile. And yes, I think I would rather write my own eulogy.