courtesy freedigitalphotos
Last night I was interviewed via video for the first time in my life. I’m humbled and honored to be recognized, along with others, for my volunteer work with New Reach at their annual auction. As I waited in the conference room at one of the women’s shelters for the people doing the interviewing and videotaping, I checked myself in the mirror hanging at the back of the room several times. Each time my hair and face looked the same, looked like me, no surprise transformation having taken place. I confess to covering the gray with color and getting it cut and blown out straight the day before. I normally have unruly, curly, crazy hair that I don’t much mess with but the video is going to be shown in public, to people. Vanity wins.
Ashley, Matt and Joe, all college students, arrived and got to work. They set up lights, umbrellas, tripods, asked me to sit, move to the right a little, say the alphabet after clipping a microphone to my jacket.
“They aren’t even here,” Ashley said. She sat across from me, held her arm out straight about shoulder length as if to block the two guys and their cameras from my view. “You just look at me and talk to me.”
The questions asked were given to me earlier. I thought knowing what to expect, what I wanted to say, would ease my jitters but I was still nervous.
“You’re doing fine,” they each said to me at different times when I couldn’t grasp the word I was searching for or stumbled over my words and thoughts. “We’re here for as long as you need us. You can stop, answer the question again, whatever you need.” I know the video will only be a few minutes long, know I’ll be sharing the limelight with the other honorees but I hope Matt and Joe have completed and aced their editing classes. I’m a harsh critic when I see myself in photos, I can only imagine how I’ll feel seeing myself projected on a white screen.
When we were finished someone commented on how hot the lights got.
“So that explains the trickle of sweat running down my neck,” I said, convincing no one.
Categories: Home, Musings, Uncategorized
Yikes! I was nervous just reading about it, Geralyn. 🙂 I’m sure you did a great job.
I hope so….or at least I hope they make me look like I did a good job. 🙂 Thanks, Jill
Lovely little post… congrats on the interview for such a very worthy cause!
Thank you for reading and commenting, Debbie. Have a good weekend!
I am sure you will be proud… and anyway, it is the volunteer work that you do that is actually important… and for that you should be proud 🙂
You’re right! I don’t volunteer for the recognition. I would rather work behind the scene and let someone else be honored. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Nice write-up …congrats for the interview… 🙂
Thank you!
Thank you for being a volunteer. What a great service you provide to others, and being willing to sweat it out is just more proof of your commitment. I’m sure you were terrific.
Thank you Renee. It’s a great agency and I’m honored to be recognized. 🙂
Congrats, Geralyn! These interviews are such artificially set up situations and to get through it is a triumph. I’m sure it will look good.
I used to be the one subjecting interviewees to such torture, but I hate being in the hot seat myself.
I’m sure you’ve made a few people sweat, Cynthia! I think I’d much rather like being the interviewer rather than the interviewee, especially when it’s on tape! 🙂
Me too!
I love the last line; no one wants to admit to being nervous! 🙂
I definitely was nervous! Hope the sweat running down my neck isn’t visible in the video. 🙂 Thanks for reading and commenting.
First congratulations! Second; good for you for your volunteer work and spirit! Third, I envy you curly mass of tresses! Fourth; I’m glad you made it through that. I hate being in front of a camera and I also hate talking to more than 2 people at a time! I hope you will be content with the results.
Thanks for all that! 🙂 Since my hair is curly I, of course, want straight hair! And after my first time in front of a camera I can say I’d rather not be in front of a camera. Have a great weekend!