Monday, October 15, 2007

Scribble and Scrambles - Monday Mime Meltdown



I just received a threat from a friend. The good-natured kind implying bodily harm if I do not update my blog.

Fine then, don’t let me bask in the cozy gray Iowa afternoon. Don’t let me continue to procrastinate as I am so wont to do.

What shall I write? Methinks my brain is squeezed and stretched from a too short weekend and the thoughts of the upcoming weekend that promises stress, churning stomach acid, angst and …did I say stress.

A double dose of stress? Yes. You may wonder what could possibly fill my weekend with extreme stress. Here it is. This is what I’ve done. I’ve accepted a speaking gig. “Why?” you might ask. Because I am prone to be a puppy when something sounds fun. And I felt honored to be asked. Lastly, it’s a topic God and I have worked on a bit in my own life. Guess what my topic is? Pressing On.

That sounds all good and lovely, but I’ve been doing a really great job of that lately (dripping with sarcasm). Oh, I can talk about stubborn. I have a wide streak of that, but pressing on sounds so Biblical and so above where I am currently at in my anemic walk with God.

Help! (the sound of hyperventilating) Did I mention that I do okay in public speaking? Once I get over the moment when I wrestle down the dry heaves. And my voice comes back to normal after the wibbly-wobbly “out of the gates” beginning.

People laugh at me when I talk but when they expect me to be funny…when they pay me to be funny it’s no laughing matter. What if I can’t do funny? What if a moment of melancholy wraps around me and smothers all the humor right out of me?

I gave them two pieces I’d written to promote the event. One was a deeply spiritual poem about falling into God, the other a piece on why I struggle with mimes. They chose the mimes. I do not feel funny today. Will I tomorrow? Will I Friday?

If any of you suggest I dress like a mime and do my segments without words we will not be amused.

There X-ta – or should I say Stress-ta…the blog is updated. Maybe I should start working on some speeches now.