Prompt eleven: "Courage is grace under pressure" is a famous quotation by Ernest Hemingway. Tell us about a personal moment of your grace under pressure.
In front of others, I can show grace. Behind closed doors, I tend to fall apart.
My first summer in my current position as a youth services coordinator at a public library was particularly stressful. If you're not familiar with what goes on for children during a typical summer at a public library, it involves lots of planning of programs to accommodate a lot families who attend programs and visit to check out books. It's an absolute blast because I get to encourage children to read while hosting programs that (hopefully) get kiddos hooked on visiting the public library and learning new things.
But that first summer was nerve-wracking because it was my time planning an entire summer's worth of programs for children of all ages. I would enter every work day with a knot in my stomach, praying that the day would go well and that I would have everything necessary to make that day successful. If a special guest was scheduled to perform, I would be a nervous wreck until they were physically standing in my library.
That first summer was a huge learning experience, but I pulled it off. And apparently I pulled it off so well because I had several families that mentioned how much fun they had and how smoothly everything went. I confided in one parent that I was so scared of each program, and they commented that they definitely couldn't tell that I was worried about a thing.
This summer will be my fourth summer at my library, and I am confident in my abilities to put on a successful summer reading program. I'm still nervous while waiting for special guests to arrive, and I'm always worried that the kids are having a good time. But I never want to show that to the families and patrons. So instead, I smile and breathe and just have fun in the moment... then come home and collapse on the couch.
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