What I Wish I Would Have Said (Part 1)
I check my voicemail... "Amanda, we would like you to come in tomorrow after work and take a film crew into the cave for a few hours. You'll be taking them to some areas they can get some good shots but then we also need you to be the Park Service Ranger in their fake tour footage and they'll also be interviewing you about the cave. Be enthusiastic, and inspire."
"Okay." (Insert large nervous gulp.)
Me? Why me? I'm the one who likes to be behind the camera filming and editing footage and now I have to be put on the spot. What an honor, but am I good enough?
I have less than 24 hours to be inspired but that was my number one mistake you can't prepare to be inspired or even inspire others, that is something that comes from the heart. I love Wind Cave like I love no other place; this is home... why did I not just feed off of that. No, but instead I research, I plan, I imitate. That is where I went wrong.
When it came time to do the filming my nerves truly got the best of me. We found the room in which we would film and after quite some time the crew set up the intimidating lights and they positioned all the equipment where it needed to be. We lined up at the bottom of the stairs and were to act as if we were in the middle of a tour. The words "action' sputtered out of the filmmakers mouth and we slowly walked up the stairs gazing at the boxwork above, looking in ohhh and ahhh. We got to the top, this was my time to shine, and.... I CHOKED!
Flat out choked in every sense. My stomach turned to goo and felt as if a knife were being driven through it, my words made no sense as I tried to describe how boxwork formed. The ideas of soda, Mount Rushmore, cavities, calcite, and many other random topics came rushing out of my mouth. It made no sense at all and I knew almost immediately that I had messed it up... I'm sure that everyone else did too as my voice quivered with each line I presented.
Okay Amanda, just breathe, these are your friends, your coworkers, they aren't judging you. But of course they're watching your every move, listening to every word you say, you gotta get your stuff together. Alright let's give this another try... "action!" Okay that time it didn't go to bad, now let's do it a dozen more times. It's just not the same. This isn't normal, I'm not comfortable. I am an incredibly enthusiastic, I really do have a passion for this place. But these aren't my normal visitors these are trained interpreters, it's in our nature to judge; I'm being put on the spot.
At this point I just need to suck it up and be grateful for the opportunity that has been handed to me. Okay, "who wants to see Amanda get interviewed?" What? I don't have a say in this, you're going to make me now answer on the spot questions in front of my coworkers and supervisors. Well damn, here it goes!!!
I'm not satisfied with my answers, but oh well, we are all our own worst critics. Then the question comes up, "so what are you going to be doing with these films then?" Somewhere in the answer I hear something about 40+ large plasma screen tvs at Mount Rushmore... that's all I needed to hear; yikes!
I take the next few days beating myself up about my 'performance' or lack there of. I find myself in between long walks from room to room on my tours pondering 'what I would have said!'
So, what would one say if asked on the spot, without any preparation... (to be continued Part 2)
.
"Okay." (Insert large nervous gulp.)
Me? Why me? I'm the one who likes to be behind the camera filming and editing footage and now I have to be put on the spot. What an honor, but am I good enough?
I have less than 24 hours to be inspired but that was my number one mistake you can't prepare to be inspired or even inspire others, that is something that comes from the heart. I love Wind Cave like I love no other place; this is home... why did I not just feed off of that. No, but instead I research, I plan, I imitate. That is where I went wrong.
When it came time to do the filming my nerves truly got the best of me. We found the room in which we would film and after quite some time the crew set up the intimidating lights and they positioned all the equipment where it needed to be. We lined up at the bottom of the stairs and were to act as if we were in the middle of a tour. The words "action' sputtered out of the filmmakers mouth and we slowly walked up the stairs gazing at the boxwork above, looking in ohhh and ahhh. We got to the top, this was my time to shine, and.... I CHOKED!
Flat out choked in every sense. My stomach turned to goo and felt as if a knife were being driven through it, my words made no sense as I tried to describe how boxwork formed. The ideas of soda, Mount Rushmore, cavities, calcite, and many other random topics came rushing out of my mouth. It made no sense at all and I knew almost immediately that I had messed it up... I'm sure that everyone else did too as my voice quivered with each line I presented.
Okay Amanda, just breathe, these are your friends, your coworkers, they aren't judging you. But of course they're watching your every move, listening to every word you say, you gotta get your stuff together. Alright let's give this another try... "action!" Okay that time it didn't go to bad, now let's do it a dozen more times. It's just not the same. This isn't normal, I'm not comfortable. I am an incredibly enthusiastic, I really do have a passion for this place. But these aren't my normal visitors these are trained interpreters, it's in our nature to judge; I'm being put on the spot.
At this point I just need to suck it up and be grateful for the opportunity that has been handed to me. Okay, "who wants to see Amanda get interviewed?" What? I don't have a say in this, you're going to make me now answer on the spot questions in front of my coworkers and supervisors. Well damn, here it goes!!!
I'm not satisfied with my answers, but oh well, we are all our own worst critics. Then the question comes up, "so what are you going to be doing with these films then?" Somewhere in the answer I hear something about 40+ large plasma screen tvs at Mount Rushmore... that's all I needed to hear; yikes!
I take the next few days beating myself up about my 'performance' or lack there of. I find myself in between long walks from room to room on my tours pondering 'what I would have said!'
So, what would one say if asked on the spot, without any preparation... (to be continued Part 2)
.
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