I have always had an extreme nervousness about public speaking and I have felt that at some point I would have to deal with it and confront it. I just didn't expect to do it in such a spectacular function.
Yesterday at a conference the speaker all of a sudden asked me to come up and speak in front of 130 people. I had no warning nor preparation for this so it came as a surprise. I went up and immediately started sweating, flush face, dry mouth.....I looked at the crowd, got two words out and froze. I tried to recover and babbled a few more times before apologizing and I left the stage.
I am up at four am now still mortified and know that I will forever be known as "that guy". What a disaster.....
I'm looking at taking some courses and trying to overcome this huge obstacle but emotionally I'm struggling.