I had butterflies until I began to speak..then they flew away one by one.
Unknown Butterfly Summer of 2010
The event where I was the featured speaker went okay. I was greeted warmly by almost everyone I met..I did not know a soul there. I enjoyed their potluck lunch and the pre-speaker music, which was a very talented older lady who played guitar and sang hymns. I am not so sure I like a microphone..it seems so cold..but this group was older than most so I guess it was to help their hearing. Ehh! Why didn’t they just turn up their hearing aids? ( I tried desperately not to envision them all as naked old people with those antique ** ear trumpets held up to their ears.)
Not one of them had a question? Really? Were they shy? Tongue tied? Perhaps I was too long winded, and they just wanted to get it all over with. ( I couldn’t blame them..I wanted it to be over with also.)
Several people approached me before I left to chat and share an old story or two. One person had a complaint about the Museum..I apologized graciously even though the incident happened well before I became the director. I am not going to argue with anyone..least of all cranky old women who feel that someone stomped on their toes. I can try to mend fences gently…I can be patient and understanding some times.
Small towns..full of “he said she said”…I came home and had a two hour nap. I was exhausted.
I am under contract until April 30. My new contract has not been negotiated yet.
The Butterflies are free..larvae is extra:)
Monarch Butterfly Larvae
**Ear trumpets were cone shaped, the small end fit into your ear..the cone was supposed to catch the sound waves and deliver them to your ear. Often times people yelled into the trumpets..
Things are rarely as difficult as we imagine they will be...good job!
ReplyDeleteI am sure you were outstanding. Public speaking is not for everyone. It helps when you know the subject well and obviously you do. Job well done!
ReplyDeleteI'm betting they didn't have questions, because you did such a good job covering everything. Anywho.... don't get good at a job you don't like!! Just a little Muffy advice.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update; I know you did a great job.
ReplyDeleteOh I am glad your speach went well and you enjoyed it all ! I love butterflies as well ! No questions means your speach was so good you already gave them their answers ! Have a wonderful day !
DeleteNow that's quite the picture... naked grey haired oldsters with ear trumpets listening to a talk about butterflies and then kevetching about the museum. Did any of them offer to help? Didn't think so...
ReplyDeleteI am happy to hear (hahaha) that your speech went well. I am also glad I didn't have to envision you thinking about naked old people with ear trumpets :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on a job well done. I figured they would all go flying away, and sure enough. You do know the subject well, after all. How come we didn't have a picture of the dolled up speaker? Suddenly I realize that we NEVER see pictures of Far Side, just everybody else! Chance, can you do something about that? :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to hear that all went well. Ear trumpets, haha, my father-in-law used to say that he envied our German Shepherd because the shape of his ears. My father-in-law was very deaf, but never would go for hearing aids.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is they were as scared as you thought you would be.
ReplyDeleteGlad to know it all went well though. I agree with Muffy's Marks. I be you did a great job with what you wanted to tell them. :)
I knew you'd do a bang up job!
ReplyDeleteDo ya know what the ear trumpets were made of. I've often envisioned cattle horns and I don't know why!!!
Congratulations on your speech.
Have a glorious day my friend!!! :o)
Hope that those old folks heard the speech, maybe they didn't have their hearing aids turned up so that was why no questions. I am sure you did a great job. Have a good day.
ReplyDeleteCongrats!! I found when I worked with seniors that they don't often ask questions. I wonder why that is. Ear trumpets! LOL! Maybe they can't hear well enough to be confidently asking questions. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the talk went well for you.
ReplyDeleteGlad for you that it is done and it went well.
ReplyDeleteSo now I'm picturing you starting to giggle, as you picture the audience nekkid and holding ear trumpets, and then the giggle turning into one of those that you can't control, and tears are pouring down your cheeks, and then someone asks you what is so funny....:)
Phewww... that's done. No more fretting over that particular presentation!
ReplyDeleteEar trumpets and naked old people... ewwww! Perhaps not a pretty sight - I might have preferred the butterflies!
Glad it's done. It sounds like you did a fantastic job and that you handled the complaint wonderfully.
I am glad that is over with. They probably thought it was polite to not ask questions. Every group is different. I like how the past is suppose to be fixed, right now!
ReplyDeleteHaving been on our local museum board, I well know the issues of people and their
ReplyDeleteissues with the collection. It's a complicated process to get rid of some of the treasures we cannot keep any longer.
Whew! Glad it's over for you! As for the complaint(s) from older people...what's up with that? I live in a town that has a majority of them and they are a sorry bunch for the most part. I'm older, 63 and happy as a lark...one lady even barked at me I probably had too much of that "happy" chemical (I'm old...I can't remember the name of it! LOL!) in my brain as she couldn't understand why I was always in a good mood! LOL! These people I'm referring to are retired, in good health and with plenty of money and either live on the lake or near the golf course...if they're not happy now...when? I hate to tell them but it's all down hill from here! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI have since stopped volunteering, going to church, etc....I'm pretty much a recluse now. They were depressing ME who never gets down or at least not for long. I'm happy as long as I stay to myself! Should I seek help? LOL!
I'm sure all went well, and like said above, you gave them all they wanted/or needed to know!!!! That sure is a pretty butterfly picture. did you ever find out what kind it was?
ReplyDeletePhew! I can relax now...for you! As far as the hearing thing...speaking from experience with my folks...they know they have hearing aids, they know they replaced their batteries, but for some reason, they cannot admit that they just don't work like they should so they never go get them adjusted!
ReplyDeleteDo you think you will have another go at it? I'm sure they loved you.
ReplyDeleteHeat and cooling would be nice. Probably not part of the contract.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
Oh, this had me laughing out loud!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you survived, they survived, and no one had to run around naked with ear trumpets!
I don't think I could ever be in a head position. I just can't handle when people complain to me about something out of my control. I get testy back at them. (I need to learn patience and am working on my grace)
ReplyDeleteKarmyn is just like her mother.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got the nap. I probably would have taken the nap and let someone else give the talk