Member-only story
I Speak, Therefore I Freak Out
How to tell your story onstage without losing it
When I was seven years old, I shook aloud as I read a poem about Mother’s Day in front of my classmates and their mothers. My own mom wasn’t able to be at that Mother’s Day tea because she had to work at either the fried chicken shack at the racetrack, the newspaper delivery gig, or her babysitting job (she’s a hardworking woman!). But my terror wasn’t due to my mother’s absence — it was due to all those eyeballs staring at me. My sweet teacher held my hand as my voice quaked and I tried not to wet my pants. I got through it, but I knew I would always hate public speaking.
Naturally, I grew up to be a stand-up comic, storyteller, and professional college speaker.
How the hell did that happen?
Well, a few things healed my hatred of the stage. Some of them had to do with maturation. Of course, fear of public speaking is not a sign of immaturity. I meet plenty of very mature folks who despise making speeches (I have a feeling you’re one of ‘em!). But as I grew up and had to do the damn thing over and over again in class, I became accustomed to the idea that speaking in front of a crowd wouldn’t actually kill me (I also acquired more bladder control). More importantly, I learned how to occasionally relax onstage.
