If you have ever given a presentation in front of a group of
people you know that a lot of things can go wrong. Some are preventable with
proper preparation and others cannot be avoided. I had one of those unexpected
ones happen when I was speaking in Birmingham, Alabama, to interior designers.
My long trip began with a speech in New York City and then Dallas
before going to Birmingham. After my all-day presentation, I planned to fly to
Knoxville, Tennessee, to visit my parents.
The six-hour program was held in the conference room of a
private school in a beautiful location at the base of rolling hills. One side
of the room had a window wall overlooking the huge blooms of magnolia trees.
There were 25 interior designers attending the program who would receive
continuing education credits to maintain their professional accreditation. My
program was approved through the American Society of Interior Designers since I
once was an interior designer.
When I arrived, I discovered that there was no LCD projector
for my PowerPoint slide presentation. But, as I teach in my presentation skills
classes, speakers always need to be ready to give their program without any
props. I was about to find out just how true that advice really is.
The morning session involved people talking about the source
of their stress. After a catered lunch, they shared some of their stories.
Jane’s voice began to crack as she talked about the pressure in her life. Out
of the corner of my eye, I noticed Kelly began gathering her things. Susan
stood up and went over to side of the room and picked up her briefcase. The
session wasn’t scheduled to end for two hours. How could people be so rude to
get up in the middle of Jane’s touching story?
Finally, after three more people stood up, I had enough. I spun
around on my heel and calmly, but firmly said, “What is going on?” They looked
at me like I was from another planet. Then Janet, who had hired me, said,
“Didn’t you hear the sirens?” No, I didn’t. I thought there must have been an
accident and still didn’t understand how that could justify their rudeness.
Then Susan said, “We are having a tornado.” I looked outside and the sky was
black. I said, “I am not familiar with tornadoes, but I wouldn’t think getting
in your car and driving would be a good thing to do.” Janet said, “We are going
to the fallout shelter. Get away from the window and leave your stuff here.” I
grabbed my purse, computer and my briefcase and rushed with everyone else to a
cinderblock room on the other end of the building.
We sat down on the cement floor. I was rattled because at
that time I had only one previous experience in a tornado, but since then I’ve
been called a “tornado magnet.” It seems I attract tornadoes to areas that have
never had one before.
Janet said, “We told people they would receive continuing
education credits for this program and it has to be six hours long. Can you
keep talking?” I said what professional speakers always say to the meeting
planner, “Of course, I can.” And then the power went off. I couldn’t see anyone
in the inky, black room, but I kept talking. People shared their concerns and
how much stress these events caused them. About an hour later we emerged to
find everything still intact.
Janet helped me gather my things and said she would drive me
to the airport. We turned onto the main road and couldn’t believe our eyes. The
tornado had ravaged everything around us, but had jumped over the building that
we were in. Signal lights were dangling three feet above the road hanging by only
a frayed wire. Traffic was snarled in every direction. She said we would go a
back way to get me to the airport on time.
I had no idea what how determined she was. She drove through
people’s front yards to get around fallen utility poles. Several times the top
of the car barely cleared the pole that was leaning and looked like it could
fall at any minute. Roofs were blown off of houses, some buildings were
unrecognizable and now just a pile of sticks. People who had emerged from their
shelters looked dazed and confused.
Janet dropped me off at the airport just in time for my
Delta flight—except it was cancelled. After two more cancelled flights, I somehow
managed to arrive in Knoxville at 3:00 a.m., sans luggage.
As I said, a lot of things can go wrong during a
presentation. I received a distress call from my friend Gerry, who has a presentation
tomorrow. Today’s gift was to help him set up his PowerPoint. I’m sure his
presentation will blow me away, even if there isn’t a tornado.
In Giving,
Robin
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