|
You’re going to be glad you’ve done this
By Riney Jordan
 "Gampy, it was awesome! I want to go again next summer!"
I got chill bumps when he said it. This grandson had just returned from a summer church camp, and he had been less than thrilled on the days leading up to the departure date.
On the morning all the children were arriving at the church to leave for camp, pure excitement was everywhere. Parents piled their kids' luggage into small mountains next to the vans. Hugs and laughter were rampant. Everyone appeared to be looking forward to the week ahead. That is, everyone except my grandson. Tears welled up in his eyes as his dad and me hugged him goodbye.
I whispered in his ear, "Trust me, you're going to be glad you've done this. Just wait and see!"
He shot me a look that said: "You have got to be kidding! NEVER!"
I thought about my grandson the whole time he was gone. Had we made the right choice in sending him? What if he was miserable? Would he ever believe me again? I also thought about things that my parents and other caring adults had coerced me into doing when I was young; not once -- not one single time -- could I think of a time when I didn’t benefit from those experiences.
As most of my readers know, I speak regularly to school districts, civic groups and such. It is one of the great joys in my life, but it hasn't always been that way. During my teen years, I was horrified (perhaps mortified is a better word) to stand in front of people and say anything. I would never volunteer to give a book report or other presentation in class. The teacher would have to say something like, "Riney, all the others have given their reports. You're the only one left."
My knees would shake; my nerves were ready to crash. I was miserable!
Ironically, a classmate suggested that I apply for a job at one of the local radio stations, and I did and I was hired. There was something about being closed up in a small control room that made talking to the masses a whole lot easier. Occasionally, however, the station manager would tell me that I had to do a live broadcast at a new business or an event.
"Please, don’t make me!" I would plead.
"No, you're the one. There's no getting out of it!"
And little by little, with each event, my fear of public speaking went away.
Now, as a public speaker, I've addressed hundreds of groups, many audiences numbering in the thousands. While standing at the podium the thought often will flash across my mind: "I can't believe that I'm doing this! And more importantly, I can't believe that I love it!"
And so it was, on the day the church van arrived in the parking lot, bringing our kids home, one of the first faces I saw was my grandson's. With a smile that extended from one ear to the other, he ran up to me, gave me a giant hug and proclaimed, "Gampy, it was awesome! I want to go again next summer!"
This school year, when your child or one of your students puts up a resistance to trying something new, be firm in the knowledge that this is an opportunity for them to grow. And who knows, you might just open up a whole new world that will influence them for the rest of their lives!
RINEY JORDAN, whose best-selling book, "All the Difference," is now in its sixth printing, is an international speaker and humorist. He can be reached at riney@htcomp.net or by visiting www.rineyjordan.com
|
