“I used to be terrified of speaking in public.”
The other day, as I was driving by Applebee’s, I was reminded of the times when my family and I used to go there for dinner.
However, it wasn’t the dinner itself that I remembered, rather what I used to do to avoid speaking in public or placing my order.
This didn’t happen every time, but often enough that it stuck around in the back of my head to this day.
I remember the drive to the restaurant.
The whole way there, I’d be practicing how I’d respond to the server.
One voice in my head would ask, “What would you like today?”
The other voice would respond, “I’d like chicken fingers and fries, please.”
I’d repeat this scenario over and over again until we had reached our destination.
Then, the fear would set in.
All of the practice went straight out the window.
The fear was so real that instead of sticking to the plan and repeating what I had practiced on the way there, I’d shift my focus to Plan B.
Find a way to not have to place the order.
Here’s how it all took place.
As the host would help us find our table, I would sit down for a brief minute, look around, try to spot who would be serving us.
As I saw the server make his or her way toward us, I’d make a run for the bathroom.
But, before leaving the table, I’d tell my parents my exact order just in case I was “still in the bathroom” when the server came by to take the orders.
I would stay in the bathroom for at least 10 minutes, hoping that the order already took place.
Most times, as I returned back, the order was already placed.
Other times, I had to face the fear and place the order myself.
In fact, the more I think about it now, the reason why I chose chicken fingers and fries was because it was easy and quick to say.
Unlike some of the other items on the menu such as, “Grilled salmon with mashed potatoes and a side salad”.
The last thing I wanted to do was prolong this experience.
I wanted it to be as quick and painless as possible.
As you think about your own experience, “What were the things you used to do to avoid speaking in public?”
