Since you asked...

First off, thank you for all of your kind and uplifting comments. How can a girl not feel a little bit amazing when everyone else says so?! Don’t worry, I was still scared enough that your “pull-ups” in no way got to my head. And now that it is over, and relief floods over me, I feel grateful to have completed the task, but in no way inspired to ever accept such a request ever again.

It went well. It really did. My husband helped me so much with all of my AV needs as I am hardly technologically able, and I didn’t have a single AV glitch – which really would have thrown me off and put a damper on my presentation. The teens were great and really got involved with me. In some ways there are a lot like the little kids I am used to working with and I think I gauged their attention spans well with enough wiggle and transition activities in between my talking. I had a little less time than I had anticipated and as I sat waiting to be introduced, watching the clock I quickly calculated what chunk I would have to leave out. I think I had some good stories, and they even laughed – whether with or at me I don’t really care. I like making people laugh.

I had the teens (about 120 of them) sit on picnic blankets on the floor (which I used for an activity, and tied into my presentation) and for a part had them choose the person from their blanket with the deepest darkest scariest voice to come up to the front and help me tell a story. Each time I pointed at them (about a dozen mostly male) they would say frighteningly “THE BIG BLACK DOOR.” You may have heard this story before, here’s how it goes:

An Arab chief tells the story of a spy who had been captured and sentenced to death by a general of the Persian army. The general had fallen upon a strange and weird custom. He permitted the condemned person to make a choice. He could either face the firing squad or pass through THE BIG BLACK DOOR. As the moment of execution drew near, the general ordered the spy to be brought before him for a short, final interview, the primary purpose of which was to receive the answer to the query: “Which will it be – the firing squad or THE BIG BLACK DOOR?” This was not an easy question, and the prisoner hesitated, but made it known that he much preferred the firing squad. Not long thereafter a volley of shots in the courtyard announced that the grim sentence had been fulfilled. The general, staring at his boots, turned to his aide and said, “You see how it is with men; they will always prefer the known way to the unknown. It is the characteristic of people to be afraid of the undefined. And yet I gave him his choice.” “What lies beyond THE BIG BLACK DOOR?” asked the aide. “Freedom,” replied the general, “and I’ve known only a few men brave enough to take it.”

Anyways, as I told them how and what they were to say each time I dramatically pointed at them, I turned my back to the volunteered for a moment and one of the kids whispers, “Let’s say it in a high-pitched girly voice instead!” Teens! I don’t know why I thought they’d be so much scarier than little kids; they are definitely just as silly. It was a fun activity but instead of sounding scary their deep booming voices made the audience laugh hysterically each time – so it was fun for all of us, if you can imagine.

I was to speak on being steadfast and immovable, and I really focused on how knowing who we are and that we are loved is vital to being steadfast and immovable. I brought up how as teenagers a lot of times we feel like we are on a quest to find out who we are, and a lot of the choices we make are based on that quest… however sometimes we make wrong choices because we have merely forgotten who we are. Then I did something I was a bit nervous about… I showed a clip from the movie “The Lion King” when Simba is confronted by the baboon Rafiki who tells him he has forgotten who he is, and reminds him that his father is still alive and lives in him and then Mufasa appears to him in the stars and tells Simba, “You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me…. Look inside yourself... You are more than what you have become...You are my son, and the one true King… Remember who you are.” (or something like that). Anyways, I’ve always been struck by the power of that scene and how much it makes me think of our Heavenly Father, who loves us and wants us to become as He is. Who sends prophets, parents, leaders and friends into our lives to remind us of who we are and can be, even if we have strayed and not always been steadfast and immovable. But I was also worried how teenagers would feel about this kid movie… adults are old enough to remember and appreciate, but were these teens too close to childhood for this; would it be cool, or completely lame? Well, this was the highlight, I think. Everyone laughed like Rafiki and they were all quoting the lines along with each character and then completely quiet and still for the spiritual moment of Simba’s reminder of who he really is. It was both fun and effective, and I’m glad I took that chance.

I had a lot of personal stories that I think went well, and really I feel good about it. I love to tell stories, and they seemed to enjoy them as well. And of course, being August 2nd (with Breaking Dawn coming out) I had to mention the Twilight series and do a little Edward, Jacob, Bella analogy for the crazed girls and clueless boys (and leaders!!!) They were a great group. Though in hindsight, I do felt like I tried to fit too much in to too little time. And I had total dry throat syndrome and should have had some water up there with me… bwah!

I had woken up yesterdayknowing my, ahem, monthly migraine was coming on, and so I drugged up and it didn’t hit hard until later that afternoon and I spent the rest of the day and night in excruciating pain either in bed or on the couch. I’m very grateful that I was spared that huge inconvenience. Now I need to clean my house (which I ignored all of last week) and get back to my regularly-scheduled to-do list and enjoy our last week before school starts. And I have some good mail packages to put together – a greenie package for my brother, and a baby package for my sister who had her second baby last night – a boy!!!! Yeah!!!