Last Thursday, I met up with Mrs Wendy Lai, who had been my form teacher during my upper secondary years back in Beatty. We had the opportunity to meet in Ngee Ann (my current school) because, she was taking her students there for an accountancy-related event.

During the two years in upper secondary, she used to be my mentor when my team participated in a few business competitions. We had sacrficed afternoons and sometimes mornings just for the sake of those competitions. And when our team won third place for both years, it was worth it.

My team not only had gained experience but had bonded with Mrs Lai considerably. Therefore, you can imagine that we were really happy to catch up after my graduation two years ago.

Anyway, as we conversed about how the class was like back in the day, she suddenly asked if I was doing any emceeing in Ngee Ann. When I answered ‘no’, she asked why not.

In trying to answer her, I remembered last semester when I stumbled in my presentation. And it seemed thereafter that I have developed a sort of mental block towards public speaking. This I told her.

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Instead of looking exasperated, she reminded me of the business competitions, both of which I had presented really well. When I tried to tell her that my fiasco of a presentation was an indication of how my nerves had affected me, she told me that I had no problem presenting my team’s business plan in front of hundreds of people for two years. And it reminded me about how coolly I answered the judges’ questions, criticisms and praises.

I won’t analyse what went wrong on that day when I stumbled. But to think that a presentation in front of 40 people affected my nerves was laughable indeed. I can only resolve to prove to myself that I can do what I did two years ago.

Sometimes, it takes someone to remind you of what you once were capable of. Thanks Mrs Lai.

Logen L.