Keep Showing Up

Over the speakers, I heard my name get called to go on stage.

Then, I swallowed the mouthful of water I'd been holding onto.

The theater was dark, and my mouth gets dry when I'm about to speak in front of an audience. I rose from my seat and made my way to the front while taking a few sharp inhales through my nose. Climbing the steps, I let out a slow exhale as I walked into the spotlights and took my place in front of the mic. Sue, the event host, adjusted the stand, gave me a smile, and then disappeared stage-left.

I looked out at the crowd, glancing left, right, and center into the darkness beyond the stage-lighting. With my feet firmly planted, I relaxed my shoulders and reminded myself to stand up straight. I gave myself a silent "you got this", then smiled and began telling my story.

After I finished, I moved out of the spotlight and could finally see the faces in the crowd and hear their thunderous applause. Descending the steps to return to my seat, I clenched my jaw and felt my throat catch as I walked passed tearful smiles and nods of appreciation. It wasn't the first time I told a story at The Moth, but I think it was the first time I felt like I truly belonged.

I missed first place by just a fraction of a point, coming in second (again). One of these times I'm going to win. And until then, I'm just going to keep showing up.

---

Our Daily MAP Year Prompt
206/365

If you had to tell a true story about an experience you had in under 5 minutes, what would you share?

onward.

For more on this daily column and The MAP Year Project, read the backstory here. And if you know someone who'd appreciate this, pass it along.