Do you want me at your event... You may have to give that a second thought. My humor and presentation style aren't for everyone and definitely not 'all-ages'.
I used to be terrified of speaking in public until a college professor gave me an invaluable tip: focus on something in your hands or around the room to draw eyes away from you and avoid feeling so isolated at the front of the room.
I prepare talking points I want to cover, but what comes out of my mouth is based on audience interaction and participation. If I were a stand-up comedian, I would be one of those who draws from the audience to find humor in everyday situations and then adds my spin to it.
I'm a much more effective host when the audience knows me or my flavor. I can just be myself with people who understand my flaws as a person and can ride with the journey. I realized that going in as a sub-host for an event that isn't my own is risky.
It's hard to suppress someone who I am not. An eye roll here, a pregnant pause there to let the humor figure itself out. At times, I find myself speechless when the audience surprises me with their humor, and we laugh together.
Let's face it, yarn can lend itself to a lot of innuendo and double entredres and I am not scared of that. In fact, it makes it a bit more knotty, if I don't mind saying so myself.
While I cannot be certified as a crochet teacher, it's my slang of memory hooks and letting the community find its own path that gives me joy. Stuff like this cannot always be structured.
I can pivot on a moment's notice and read body language. As a gay male, I have had to learn to read the room and know if I am feeling safe or need to step to the back of the room. I don't always get it right and will be the first to admit that.
I can have the deepest of conversations, not shallow, quick chatting. My life isn't an organized catalog, and sometimes, you just have to flip the page to see what's next.
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