OT: I *fianllly* quit smoking again!

Mary Fisher spun a FINE 'yarn':

(snipped, snipped, snipped)

Wintergreen, really? So like menthol cigarettes... yucky, I never liked menthol when I did smoke. I only ever had (and saw) the "Popeye" candy cigarettes, with a picture of Popeye on the cover of the red box. The were white and looked like thin pieces of chalk with a red tip (which, like I said they have eliminated now). They were rock hard and had a sweet, and I suppose, slight vanilla flavouring to them.

The video rental store here in town has a "retro candy" area where they have the "Popeye Candy Sticks" (can't call them *cigarettes* anymore), and Necco candy wafers that I used to buy at the movie theatre all the time, along with a lot of other things. They *do* still have cigar-shaped bubble gum... I didn't look closely at them, but I doubt that they can call them *cigar* bubblegum anymore. The candy may be *retro* but the prices sure aren't! :o/

Ah but public speaking is easy, you're in control! Play to the gallery, that's what I do. I once had some British Columbians rolling in the aisle and I didn't know that I was even on the programme until I got to the event ... no preparation, no notes, no slides - nothing.

I have blushed during votes of thanks however :-)

Mary

Ours weren't, I'd have remembered that. I like wintergreen - the smell that is, don't know if I've ever tasted it.

Mary

Oooh, my stomach used to do flip-flops whenever I had to do a speech in front of classmates at school. I didn't like even just reading from a book in front of the class. I am definitely not a public speaker... most likely because of my shyness. My second sister however used to win awards for her public speaking.

Mine did too. I decided after the first time I did it as an adult that I was well received because I knew more about my subject than the audience did so nobody could fault me :-)

Well done her! I never have. I once played a dentist in school in some famous play but dreaded every minute of it, I was only chosen because I was taller than anyone else in the year (at that time).

It doesn't matter though, nobody's forcing you to speak :-) We all have different strengths and weaknesses.

Mary

You don't have to do it, you're free to say no if you're asked.

Mostly I'm asked to do it and am paid - what I'm paid is donated to a neuro surgical research fund in gratitude for the life-saving surgery I had in

Mary

You have missed my point, it is not a matter of being asked and refused , even when it is expected of me , like when i curate an exhibition i would rather not speak to the public , Nothing to do with Knowing your subject. I would never speak or be asked to speak if it wasn`t something i was aquainted with , But i still find a big crowd of faces frightening . mirjam

That's a pity but my point is valid, you don't have to do anything you don't want to.

Mary

I have to pay taxes - it's not something I want to do but the tax department doesn't give me a choice in the matter.

More to the topic though, although you may not *have* to, in many circumstances ones reputation relies on public speaking. In the academic world for instance - many do not like to lecture (research is their prime attraction to the position) but they simply would not have a career if they didn't do it.

Yes, in theory we don't *have* to do many things we don't want to but often the consequences are so dire that the choice is not a real one.

VP

Yes, but one wouldn't choose such a career if one couldn't speak in public, would one? Even if one chose it one might not be selected if a lack of confidence were admitted at interview. There are research careers which don't involve lecturing. Well, there are in Britain.

I think you're taking this to an extreme, Mirjam said "I don`t like to speak in front of many people" and I said she had a choice. Isn't that true? If she's an academic she's made an unfortunate choice of career.

I'm not an academic, in fact I have no career except that of wife and motherhood. I couldn't speak in front of my class when I was at school but now I can get on my hind legs and speak to any audience, it's neither an asset nor a failing. Just a characteristic. There were no lessons as there were with, say, knitting, sewing, breadmaking or beekeeping, I was once asked to do it and because I felt passionate about the subject (a mediaeval historical one) I did. It was successful and I was asked again. It was chosen for me, not by me.

And I admit that I enjoy it and the research and preparation :-)

Not being able to speak in public isn't a fault, I'm sure that there must be some things Mirjam can do which I can't.

Mary

And I think you're being overly picky. Mirjam's a fibre artist, doing things she loves to do, and apparently public speaking can be part of it. Just because she doesn't like that aspect of her career, doesn't mean she's made an unfortunate choice.

No doubt.

Shelagh

Wishful thinking , Mary , many things in life are not open to willing or not willing . Like driving on the Same side of the road and other regulations ,,,,, The same goes fort Social/Proffseional `accepted duties`. Many a time one has to do things one doesn`t want to do , but is expected to do. mirjam

Thank you Vintage Purls , just my point !!!! I see you are as realistic as i am ,,,, !!!! i like the research part of curtaing i love writing the catalog and gallery papers i like to go to the artists` studios and speak with them ,,, but facing THAT CROWD ,,,is ever so hard , i freeze ... it has nothing to do with my knowledge of the material ,, Last year i was asked to lecture to students in Beer Sheva Univ. Art Department , i decided to write the lectures and they were put on the department`s site for all students to read them ,,,,, this way they got the info in the best manner. mirjam

Mary , first i am mainly a fiberartist. And i can say i haven`t chosen to become an artist , in fact i am a Librarian. and sort of grew into being an artist, it developed. took me years before i dared show my art, than took me some years to find i have a gift for curtaing as well . And last but not least that my many researches about fiberart and textile history are interesting to other people as well . Than i was asked to speak here and there , write for exhibitions here and there ... and than i was asked to become an adviser in the Ministry of Culture Art and Sports and to lead my proposed cahnges in the education of future Handcraft and Fiberart Guides. While I collected a wonderful stuff of teachers,and had no intention of teaching myself, we saw that there was no material about Cloth anf fibers history thus i sat down to write this material , and had to teach it, Than we saw we lacked material about bibliography etc,,,,, and i just wrote all the missing materials and taught it. [all professional names and terminologies were given in 3 languages] / Than i was asked to curate and than one has to speak in the opening. That is one side of my life i am asked to speak and lecture. The other side is to speak about My art , it`s origin and about My Research into Documents abou the Holocaust. This is even Harder to speak about in public . But i am asked to speak and lecture, and can`t always send a written article instead . Thus i do it, because it has to be done.

You see your ideas about `choosing a career` are nice , and maybe idealistic , but life Happens to people not always as they Choose .... the mature thing is to take it as it comes and make the best you can with it , for yourself and for society.

I have interviewed art students, and some where very shy and unsure, had i used your measure , i would have deprived them and art world of some Bloomimg Young Artists who are now making quite a Career as artists , some are still shy ,,, but when needed they speak in public.

There are careers like that in every place , but NOBODY who starts a career of any kind really nows if he /she will have to SPEAK about it in public or not during his/her life time.

Yes i will say it Again I don`t like to speak in Public , but as explained, i have to do it from time to time. According toy your idea i had to stifle my artistic urge, just in case i might have to speak about it 20-30 years later ???? who knew i will eventualy become a serious artist and will be asked to speak about it ? i didn`t know before hand , it happened. I feel being a Fiberartist is the Essence of my life, it is a Most Fortunate thing , to have happened to me.

Interesting that you can see yourself as being chosen for something, but don`t see that it might happen to others as well ...

Thank you for your compliment . mirjam

Thank you my dear Shelagh

I am sure there are a lot of `some things` we can do ...... mirjam

Is there a reason for this Mirjam, as you don't come over to me as a shy person? Yet not wanting to address a large sea of faces suggests there is a shyness to you, that I haven't met yet?

higz Cher