I know the bad rap that public speaking has. To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, people are more afraid of delivering a eulogy than they are of being the subject of the eulogy.
Personally, I don't feel the same. After all, I do public speaking for a living. I have, however, discovered a fate worse than public speaking -- public singing.
I have no idea how I got roped into it, but this past Sunday I found myself front and centre singing in front of my church. I do not have a great voice by any stretch of the imagination, but luckily it was church and not Canadian Idol. Having said that, I am still amazed by how nervous I was by the prospect of singing in front of the congregation.
I don't know why, but there is something intensely personal about singing. Maybe it is the fact that I am aware of my limitations. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that more people sing poorly than speak poorly. For all I know, it I am unconsciously comparing myself to the singers whose voices I like and whose CDs I buy. All I know for certain, is that I have not been that nervous in years.
