Over the past couple of months I have been genuinely shocked at what I saw going down the street. Both times I wish I would have had a camera to be able to show people what I saw because I knew they wouldn't believe me.
The first time this happened, this is what I saw: A man probably in his 60's or 70's was walking down the street. This in and of itself would not be a big deal, it is what he was wearing that shocked me. He was wearing a black leather jacket, black leather pants, bright white sneakers and white gloves (circa Michael Jackson). The Lego image is about as close to a representation as I could get. What was this person doing? Why were they wearing such an outfit? How old was this guy? I was just baffled.
The second time I saw a person riding a unicycle to work. That's right, a unicycle. He was wearing a helmet, peddling along on a unicycle on his way to work. I tried to get my cell phone out right away and get a picture taken, but at that time he was too far away. I just couldn't believe someone was actually riding a unicylce to work. Why a unicycle? Better exercise than a bike? Where do you even buy something like that?
So both times, I witnessed something that I was just flabbergasted by and wanted to take a picture of for posterity reasons, but was unprepared for it.
There is an easy lesson here for anyone who is a presenter or speaker: be prepared! In the case of presentations being prepared means a lot of things. First off, you should always plan on the worst case scenario happening. Don't assume that the technology will work and that you will have access to your presentation. You should be able to give your speech without having access to your PowerPoint. The speech might not go as well without the imagery, but if you are prepared for it, you can still give a great speech without it. If you rely on your PowerPoint or presentation of any kind, then when the worst happens you will not do as well as you could.
Beyond that, you should always know what will be available to you when presenting: microphone, podium for notes (please don't stand behind the podium), how large of a space you have, etc. Being overly prepared will ensure that you give a good speech.
From now on, I'm not just going to be prepared for my speeches, but I am going to be prepared for what I see on a day to day basis. I've learned that lesson the hard way.
Travis
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