Fear

Michael cowered in fear as he hid in a dark corner. He felt as though the

delicious pancakes he had for breakfast was about to make a return trip. Cold
sweat trickled down his forehead as he frantically repeated his script that he had
memorized by heart over and over again. Staring at the heavy microphone in his
trembling hand, he regretted accepting the invitation to do a TED talk.

It was a lovely sunny morning when Michael received the email from the TED
talk manager. He was already stressed enough as he had to study for the upcoming
Weighted Assessments (WA). He struggled to grasp the new concepts taught in
school and had to work harder. Michael’s heartburn increased as he read the email.
His brow creased in worry when he found out that he had to get up on the stage to
give a speech on how man’s actions impact the environment. His colossal stage
fright was a massive hindrance that prevented him from accepting the invitation.
“My best friend, Rafael, would love to be invited to do a TED talk. I cannot pass up
this unique, once in a lifetime opportunity.” Michael; gulped and hesitantly pressed
the ‘reply’ button, praying fervently that he had made the right decision.

“Michael!” a deep voice jolted him back to reality. The emcee had arrived and
nodded at him. Michael felt his legs turn to jelly. Oh no, he thought, biting his
fingernails, it is going to be my turn to speak soon. He tried to take deep breaths
as the curtains drew open. “Pull yourself together!” he muttered through gritted
teeth. Taking shaky steps to the podium. He felt his heart palpitating, as if it could
burst out of his ribcage at any moment. The stage lights blinded him as the room
hushed to an eerie silence. A wave of nausea swept over him. He started to panic.
He rubbed his clammy hands on his jeans. This was it. He spoke slowly into the
round head of the microphone, “Umm…Uh, hi everyone, my-my name is M-Michael
and err…today…today…”he racked his brain in desperation, trying to recall what his
next sentence was. No luck. Michael could feel the blood drain from his face as he
scanned the crowd for a familiar face. None. Just then, he caught sight of the
stage operator’s thumbs up sign. His heart warmed up. The stage operator was the
only kind face who bothered to encourage him. His kind actions touched him. He
randomly stuttered a few words for the benefit of the crowd, “Today, I will be
talking about man’s impact on the environment!” he gasped as realized he had just
managed a full sentence. Suddenly, it all came flowing back to him. Gathering his
hopes, the started with the main content of his presentation without so much a s a
pause. The audience was mesmerized by his ability to get back on his feet and
continue with his speech. “And with that, I have come to the end of my
presentation. Thank you for your kind attention!” Michael finished with a flourish.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he watched the entire audience rise to their
feet to give him a standing ovation. He choked back an emotional sob. He had done
it. He had accomplished the most terrifying feat of his life. He could not be
happier when the backstage crew who gave him that key to success came over to
congratulate him and give him a little prize to symbolize their encouragement. His
heart swelled with pride as he stumbled out of the auditorium, giddy with
excitement. His smile stretched from ear to ear as he listened to his heart go
“Done it. Done it. Done it.” He skipped home while whistling a happy tune. He could
barely keep the good news to himself and could not wait top tell his mother about
his wonderful achievement. Watching the sky burst into shades of pink and orange,
he vowed to continue practicing and snag greater opportunities in the future.

Indeed, this has been an eye opening experience for Michael. His story was
published on multiple newspapers and articles. He inspired many other children to
be courageous and face their fears. His mother was especially proud of him and
wanted to brag to her friends about him. However, instead of being arrogant,
Michael remained humble and strove to share tips and tricks to overcome our
fears. “Until this day,” the now 60 year old Michael recalls, “I will never forget the
caring backstage crew who helped me overcome my fear. They opened up a new
world for me. This is why we should face our fears. It is to make ourselves. Our
loved ones and our community proud. Go out their children, and face whatever fear
you have. Go out there and make me proud.”

Written by Olivia.
3/4/2023.