They Serenaded Me
So yesterday morning I awoke at the butt-crack of dawn and headed over to my first organizational speaking engagement. The Kiwanis Club of San Bernardino, at the behest of Connie S., welcomed the campaign for peace and me. There were technical glitches - doesn't that always happen? The DVD got stuck in places, when I went to raise the volume, I instead changed the channel (and you know what happens when you do that!), and then there was the interpersonal glitch. Not so much a glitch as an interaction with one member, who, as it turns out, voiced a concern that most members shared (and that I wasn't able to fully acknowledge at the time because sometimes I think I'm listening and I'm not... but I'll get better), and a viewpoint that most did not share.
And so, I stumbled along and gave myself a break, and talked with the limited frame of undertanding that I did have and it wasn't bad. Later later after the event, a couple of different people told me that I had handled it well. But before the later later part, after responding as best I could and ending the presentation and taking my seat. There was a general question asked of the group, "Well, isn't that what we do? We are peacebuilders."
And then, a few broke out into song - apparently they do that often at the Kiwanis meetings - and began to sing, "Let there be peace on earth." Of course, nobody knows all the lyrics and so it stopped pretty much after the words... "and let it begin with me." But I will take that. They serenaded me in all my stumbling, mumbling, glitch-filled self, and there was peace.
And so, I stumbled along and gave myself a break, and talked with the limited frame of undertanding that I did have and it wasn't bad. Later later after the event, a couple of different people told me that I had handled it well. But before the later later part, after responding as best I could and ending the presentation and taking my seat. There was a general question asked of the group, "Well, isn't that what we do? We are peacebuilders."
And then, a few broke out into song - apparently they do that often at the Kiwanis meetings - and began to sing, "Let there be peace on earth." Of course, nobody knows all the lyrics and so it stopped pretty much after the words... "and let it begin with me." But I will take that. They serenaded me in all my stumbling, mumbling, glitch-filled self, and there was peace.
Comments