Let me share a little "Oops" moment from my life—Public Speaking at its most cringe-worthy!
Now, you might think that as a Research Scientist, I'd be a seasoned pro at public speaking, given all those conferences around the globe. Well, for the most part, you'd be right. But let me tell you, there's one thing that gets my heart racing and my palms sweaty: getting singled out and trying to wing it under that unforgiving spotlight. I'm the kind of person who loves to be prepared! So, picture this: a few years back, in the picturesque city of Oxford, England, I found myself giving a presentation on my work in front of a global gathering of my peers. We're talking about 200 attendees, and my slot just happened to be right before the afternoon coffee break—when everyone's eager to make a beeline for that caffeine fix.
My presentation was set for a reasonable 25 minutes, with a polite 5-minute window for questions afterward. I wrapped up my talk, the room burst into applause, and then came the moment of truth—I asked if there were any questions. Cue the awkward pause... It felt like an eternity, but in reality, it was about 20 seconds of complete silence. Not a single hand in sight.
And then, it happened. One brave soul raised their hand and asked, "Where's your accent from?" Gulp. My response? Stuttered and stammered, "Ummm, Western Canada? Ummm, Alberta?" Yep, my face turned the brightest shade of red (I'm a seasoned blusher, by the way), and I felt like I had just won the award for "Most Awkward Response Ever."
Now, I'll be honest, it wasn't exactly a Nobel Prize-worthy question, but it caught me completely off guard. Lesson learned! I've since made sure to have some "chat-worthy" info up my sleeve, just in case lightning strikes twice.
So, who else thinks the weather has been absolutely fantastic lately? 🌞 And don't even get me started on quilting—I could talk about that for hours! 😄
Happy Sewing!
Jody
PS. This is a mockup of a new pattern I have coming out soon...
