Hi everyone. Thought I would share something with you that has helped me in a big way tonight.
I've always had a hard time talking in public, or even in small groups. A year and a half ago I stuttered trying to say my name in a community meeting of about ten people.
I've been forcing myself this last year to speak more and more in meetings, because there is a proposal to end a pipeline in my home town that'll be carrying 82 million litres per day of Tar Sands diluted bitumen. There will be only about 32 people working at the tank farm, where it'll be loaded aboard 225 supertankers per year to zigzag their way 150 km to open water. The August issue of National Geographic has two stories about how significant this part of the world is, and how this project would threaten it.
The fear of not speaking my mind, and how disappointed in myself I would be, has been greater than my fear of speaking in public. It's been getting easier every time.
Tonight we had a community forum where the proponent finally showed up where they weren't controlling the event. There were two people to speak for the project, two people to speak against it, then the floor was open to the audience.
I've never spoken before a mike, in an auditorium, before hundreds of people, with newspaper photographers and videographers pointing their lenses at me while I talked, so I had been getting more n-n-nervous as the event came nearer.
Several days ago I remembered reading about North American First Nations Peoples using medicine bundles; small pouches which contained small items of great meaning to the person who chose them. I used one tonight, and it was a great means of support when I needed it. It contains things from nature found on beaches during I and my wife's six month sea kayaking trip down BC's coast, things found in special places locally, and personal family things.
When I stood to speak, I let my mind dwell on the importance of the items in my medicine bundle, and how they couldn't speak for themselves, or the importance of where they came from. This helped take the pressure off of me, and my nerves, and allowed me to say what I wanted to say. Mercifully, the questions were limited to 30 seconds.
Anyways...just thought I would share this with my secular friends. The religious folk have always had a way to dissociate themselves, or gain strength from a perceived external source...now I have one too
