Fearing Fundraisers

[Teresa]

At noon tomorrow, in a ballroom at Houston's Royal Sonesta Hotel, some Etta James will play in the background, then Ray LaMontaigne, Beatles, Alanis and Van Morrison.  On a big screen, the young faces of autism will slowly fade in and out, one of them my five year old son wearing a red tie and holding a stuffed Kermit the frog.

 

The director of the Westview School will say a few words, a group of children will sing, and then a woman who looks like me will rise, walk self-consciously to the stage, and stand behind a podium to address five hundred people despite her diaphragm seizing with panic and disabling her lungs.

 

Five hundred people staring equals what she feared under her bed as a child, all the soulless dead things in the dark.

 

The woman's speech is about her son's autism journey, and she's noticed that sometimes during practice runs she doesn't cry at all, but other times she does, inconsistently during the first or third parts, so tomorrow is unpredictable, like so much under our beds and in them.

 

Eleanor Roosevelt said to do at least one thing every day that scares us, but I say just do one thing a year, a thing you fear will kill you, and when it's over, you'll have killed it. 

[Cita]

OH WOW!  The things I miss when I am riding a big fat white horse.  Sigh.  Wish I could have cheered you on.  I know you rocked it. 

[Mike Handley]

I knew you could; knew you would. Congrats, T, for the effort onstage and well beyond!

[Jeanette Cheezum]

I'm proud of for taking on the challenge. I know you will knock them off there feet. You have experience, he's your child. You know the routineas well or better than they do.

I love the selection...Etta James/At last.

[Joey Delgado]

Exactly. This is a great lesson to live by and nailed the feelings of terror before public speaking. I have no doubt you knocked it out of the park.

[Jamie Hogan]

Jerry Seinfeld had this great bit about public speaking. He noted that most people list it as their #1 fear. Their #2 fear is death. He said "So think about it. The next time you're at a funeral, the guy giving the eulogy would probably trade places with the guy in the casket."

So happy for you that it went well. Never doubted that it would.

[Judy Thompson]

T, that's called being "in the groove" when the right words and the right moments come together,  and you know enough to flow with it.   I am so proud of you and what you did.  Brava, brava.

[Bill Lapham]

Congratulations, T! You done good. It is an amazing feeling when it's over, isn't it? The sudden release of tension? Way to go.

[Teresa]

Thank you everyone for your support.  This afternoon ROCKED!!  I had the strangest sense of calm just before going on stage.  The words poured out, a few tears at the end, and the checkbooks came flying out of purses and pockets.  I had all of you on my mind and it brought me great comfort.  Thank you again, each one.  You mean so much to me.  Enormous cyber hugs all around. 

[Angela]

I know you bowled them over.  Wish I could have seen it.

[Gita]

It is 2:13 central time. Is it over yet?