Learning To Say No

I am an introvert. I always have been and I always will be. As I have gotten older I noticed that I have learned to be an introvert who can say no more easily. The older I get, the more I no longer want to do things that I just don’t enjoy.  I know I can’t say no to everything. After all, I do have to pay taxes!

This is a story from high school where I wished I had said no.

We had a thing at Slatington High called Junior Declamation. It was a contest of juniors doing monologues in front of an audience of parents, teachers, students, and others.  There was some sort of prize for the boy winner and the girl winner.  Now remember, I am and was an introvert so , obviously, I had no interest in entering this contest. My comfort zone is not on stage, alone, talking.  So far, so good.

The contest was run by our illustrious guidance counselor, Evelyn Naylor. I say illustrious because she was known to be a little clueless and a bit incompetent.  Nice woman though. My personal experience with her incompetence was when she lost all of my materials for applying to East Stroudsburg University. But, I digress.

The school year’s Junior Dec Contest was lacking one thing…boys. None had entered the contest. Certainly not me.  Mrs. Naylor called me into her office and begged me to enter. Her idea was that if I enter, other boys will follow. She wanted me to break the seal!  She exerted her nice woman pressure and I eventually said okay.  What was I thinking! Apparently I wasn’t.

I chose a monologue that would at least allow me to use my nervousness for good. In my monologue I was a nervous bridegroom, whose future wife was late for the wedding!  I was so scared. I was sweating. I was afraid I would forget my words.  I threw up before I went on stage!  I should have said no.

I didn’t win that night, nor did I expect to. It was not one of those things where, once it was over, I said I was glad to have done it. No way. It was horrible. But, my dad was proud of me. That was nice. My good friend, Jeff Sayers, won for the boys. He did a Bill Cosby monologue and he was really good. I don’t think he was even nervous.

So there is my tale of woe. Another valuable lesson. Learn to say no. It may have taken me a few decades, but I am getting better all the time.

Here is a picture of our Junior Declamation contestants rehearsing. That’s me…being a  nervous bridegroom.