Symphonicities and Stage Fright

On a recent “honey-do” trip to Home Depot, Dylan and I were listening to Sting’s latest album Symphonicities. I was explaining the meaning of the lyrics to Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, and this lead to a very serious discussion about stage fright.

I told Dylan (who is a budding actor at school) how just about everyone experiences some level of performance anxiety. Some people are paralyzed by it and absolutely cannot perform; some harness it and use it to stay sharp. I shared with him how I experience stage fright before major sales calls or presentations. I told him how that occasionally I lose my appetite before major meetings.

Dylan thought about this for a while and then said: “Well Dad, of course you get stage fright – you’re not an actor, you’re a salesperson. Just use it to your advantage.”

Thanks Dylan; you’re a piece of work.