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Surviving First Attempts
Mar. 13th, 2005 03:45 pmFor all that I like trying new things, and having projects to work on, trying projects for the first time often terrifies me. Especially when said projects and attempts involve any kind of public contact. I can handle a first attempt at a new crocheting style or embroidery technique at home with very little problem, and I'm willing to make bizarre food experiments when noone but myself and my husband will have to taste the finished project, but being in the public eye scares me sick, especially when it revolves around something that I'm less than completely comfortable with.
I've spent the past few weeks helping to teach a dance that was performed as part of I Sebastiani's latest show (for those dreary, non-local souls who haven't had the life-changing experience of seeing them perform, they *are* the Greatest Commedia dell'Arte troupe in the Entire World). Real teaching, with people who didn't already know the dance, for a performance before an actual audience.
Yesterday I helped with the cooking for a local SCA event. Not a huge event, and not a big-deal involved feast, but given that my previous SCA kitchen experience has been limited to chopping, plating, and dish-washing, it was a bit intimidating. Especially given that, even outside of period cooking, I've never served food to non-friends - while I've got a known tendency to feed people, there's always the nagging question of whether the food is any good, or whether they're just nodding and smiling to make me feel better.
But the dance was beautiful, and fit into the show wonderfully. The day-board for the event was plentiful, and ready on time, and noone keeled over dead of food poisoning or made nasty faces and spit the food out. And most importantly, noone stared at me, or pointed and laughed, or said, 'What the hell is she doing here? Bring me someone with a clue.' And I survived.
There's probably a lesson to be learned in here somewhere. Once the pleasant shock of having failed to fail has worn off, I'm sure I'll be able to see it....
I've spent the past few weeks helping to teach a dance that was performed as part of I Sebastiani's latest show (for those dreary, non-local souls who haven't had the life-changing experience of seeing them perform, they *are* the Greatest Commedia dell'Arte troupe in the Entire World). Real teaching, with people who didn't already know the dance, for a performance before an actual audience.
Yesterday I helped with the cooking for a local SCA event. Not a huge event, and not a big-deal involved feast, but given that my previous SCA kitchen experience has been limited to chopping, plating, and dish-washing, it was a bit intimidating. Especially given that, even outside of period cooking, I've never served food to non-friends - while I've got a known tendency to feed people, there's always the nagging question of whether the food is any good, or whether they're just nodding and smiling to make me feel better.
But the dance was beautiful, and fit into the show wonderfully. The day-board for the event was plentiful, and ready on time, and noone keeled over dead of food poisoning or made nasty faces and spit the food out. And most importantly, noone stared at me, or pointed and laughed, or said, 'What the hell is she doing here? Bring me someone with a clue.' And I survived.
There's probably a lesson to be learned in here somewhere. Once the pleasant shock of having failed to fail has worn off, I'm sure I'll be able to see it....
