Gord here and I have to say, I am looking forward to Wednesday afternoon when The General and I will be chatting with 100 or so students at Pleasant View Junior High School for Career Day.
It has given me a chance to reflect on where I was in Grade 8 some 21 years ago and where I am today. When I was 14, I was a very shy kid, in fact, I would never be able to stand up in front of 100 people and talk for an hour about my job. I would be a nervous wreck, shaking all over, shaking like a leaf on a fuzzy tree…well, you get the point.
Those of you who deal with shyness, know what I mean, It rattles you to the core. You’re so scared of being laughed at or embarrassed, your body just locks up. It did for me anyway, until one day in 1990 when I was in High School.
The school band was performing a medley of Elvis Music and the teacher wanted someone to dress up like Elvis and wander about while the music was playing. Everyone looked at me because I am the big Elvis fan and I sooooo did not want to go in front of the SCHOOL dressed up in a gold Jumpsuit and pretend to be Elvis.
After many hours of coaxing, I agreed and when the moment came I had my hand on the stage door and I had no problem shaking like Elvis because my nerves were in overdrive. That’s when it hit me, I am either going to be a big hit or a flop, but however it turns out, sell the performance and go big.
When I open the door and walked out on stage, the audience erupted with a standing Ovation. An Ovation…for me! I was stunned, these were my peers, my classmates and no laughing, no embarrassment ( well as far as wearing a goofy wig and a gold jumpsuit goes) and I shaked, rattled and rolled my way to a new status in the hallways at school, I was… The King - baby!
I won out over my shyness and learned afterwards how to control it and be “the performer” and I owe it all to that one day. Without it I would not have gone into radio, I would not be talking on the radio, I would not be a Wiseguy, and I would not be talking to 100 students about my radio career.
However Wednesday’s session turns out, Gord “the performer” will be selling the performance and going big…The General is another story, I know he is not shy.
