Erin has been writing about some life lessons she learned on a recent trip, and one struck my fancy. OK, several struck me, but this one brought up a memory that I sometimes wish I would forget, but I can’t help but laugh at as I remember.
Back in high school, I went to the National Young Leaders Conference. It was a very big deal to me, and I received a scholarship and some funding from the local Lions Club in order to attend.
It was the first time I had flown somewhere alone– to a big city. You all know the town I grew up in had like 2000 people in it, right? I was in awe– the kids there were bright and many were far more worldly than I was, though I had been to Germany the year before with the high school German Club. None the less…
Our first night, we gathered in an auditorium. It was really like a theatre with the sloped walkway and seating and a stage at the front. The lady gave an interesting speech on the arts, and I had a question. We were instructed to gather in the aisles with our questions, so I did just that. I waited my turn… quite patiently I might add… repeating my question to myself so I wouldn’t get up to the microphone and forget.
It was finally my turn.
I walked up to the microphone– confident on the outside, a mess on the inside– and promptly stepped on the base of the stand causing the microphone to smack me in the face.
Oh, how I wish I were kidding. There were over five hundred people in that room– all staring at me– so I did the only thing I knew I could do.
I laughed at myself.
Everyone else laughed too, and from that point on, I would introduce myself to people, and they would say, “Oh, you’re that girl who walked in to the microphone on the first night.” I would reply sheepishly (at first), “Yes, that was me.” The other person almost always said, “That was so cool how you laughed at yourself. I would have cried and ran from the room.”
Ten years later, I remember it in that much detail. I also remember what I was wearing, but I’ll spare you all!
My point, and Erin’s too– Don’t take yourself or life too seriously!
