Monday, June 27, 2005

Stage fright

When I first became a Priest, I found it very difficult to talk in front of large groups of people. I’d get terrible stage fright and would feel very ill.

People often ask me how I’ve overcome my shyness and I just tell them that I started to pretend that everyone in my audience is naked. It made public speaking much more bearable because I wasn’t concentrating on my own fears.

The only problem with this is that most people in my audience are very old and don’t exercise much. They frighten me at times.

15 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sounds like they need to go on the Vatican Diet.

6/27/2005 11:18 PM  
Blogger jamwall said...

well, that's gonna keep me away from any pope events for a long time. i don't want the holy father visualizing me naked!

6/27/2005 11:27 PM  
Blogger TLP said...

Holy Father,

I fear that some will think this is just twisted. The Pope undressing people with his eyes? Boy, you better look out for the Devil and The Little Bar of Soap!

6/28/2005 12:01 AM  
Blogger Saur♥Kraut said...

...I thought we were supposed to visualize them in their underwear.

Naked just isn't a pretty picture.

6/28/2005 1:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You haven`t overcome your shyness.

6/28/2005 1:35 AM  
Blogger The Lazy Iguana said...

Just as long as your audience does not include alter boys.....

6/28/2005 1:56 AM  
Blogger dAAve said...

Your Holiness

Must be kind of like looking in the mirror, huh?

yours in service
HP

6/28/2005 1:58 AM  
Blogger Weary Hag said...

Dying over here at Lazy Iguana's comment. My thinking exactly!
Truth be told oh holy faddah, old and out of shape people kind of scare me even when they're fully clothed.
Maybe if you just look at them all from the neck up... like a sea of heads. Just heads.
Just a thought.

6/28/2005 1:49 PM  
Blogger Thister said...

Public speaking isn't that bad, though. I personally do not visualize people in any sense or weird abstraction--it would making speaking in front of them worse, especially naked people.

Practice flame meditation, your Holiness, it really does help you focus while giving speeches in front of large crowds of people. It's certainly better than imagining them naked. Ugh! What a horrid sight that must be.

6/28/2005 3:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

God loves everybody!

6/28/2005 6:59 PM  
Blogger BarbaraFromCalifornia said...

Too much of that vending machine food, I see.

Pretend they are young, or old with lyposuction.

6/28/2005 7:37 PM  
Blogger TheNotQuiteRightReverend said...

As long as we don't have to see Your Holiness naked!

6/28/2005 10:06 PM  
Blogger A Little Bar of Soap said...

Naked?!? This is most unholy! Devil, get thee OUT!

6/29/2005 3:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh yeah, I want to see His Holiness naked! A picture please!

6/30/2005 12:18 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Was naughty Your Holiness but very funny ! I'm going to do the same maybe my shyness go way too. I wonder what is look like to see all people naked in S. Pedro square!
With a smile
bye

6/30/2005 4:47 PM  

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