Tuesday, 04 November 2008

• California Here I Come!

  I'll be speaking before the national Council of Women In Technology this week. So I'm off to Irvine California. I will be writing about my experiences as they occur and I hope to provide you with an inside look into the world of public speaking.
  
  I've spoken before groups from 3 to 3000 and they are all daunting. The movie perception of wanting to throw up is right on the money but I use an old Yul Brenner technique. Remember him? If you don't goodness help you. I use history to help me make my future and that includes knowing what I can about the people before us.
  
  Yul Brenner was a wonderful actor and his most memorable role (for many) was that of the King of Siam from the King and I. I remember him in West World and a few others but now I'm showing my age.
  
  He always felt sick before going out on stage so, according to an interview I read in the 70s, he would extend his arms at 90 degrees and press against a wall. Once he felt all of his upper body strength was being used in creating this 90 degree angle against the wall he would exhale (almost yell out even) as hard as he could, starting from the diaphragm and pushing up.
  I have used this all of my adult life and it works for me.
  
  So tonight I will spend with my sons as we watch the closing of the polls. I saved the SNL Presidential Bash on my DVR for tonight and we will watch this, while eating popcorn, and then we will tune into Comedy Central for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Then when my children go to bed, I will tune into CNN and watch history having been made.
  
  My flight leaves at 5 AM so I will pack my trusted laptop, my digital camcorder and my audio tape recorder and be ready for the next chapter of my life's journey. To all of you, a sound and peaceful night as the next President of the United States sounds a bit more like us, lives a bit more like us and looks a lot more like us.
  
  

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