So Nice To Meet You

I am directing this year's Christmas production for Muskogee Little Theatre. The play is "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever", a show guaranteed to instill holiday spirit and mistletoe sprigged warm fuzzies. If you are not familiar with the show, it has children in it. Young children, medium children and teen children. Lots of children. Talented and disciplined children with a strong work ethic and an understanding of individual effort for the common good.

Auditions are over and a director's prayers were answered. There was so much talent on the stage, it was very difficult to choose my cast. All those bright smiling faces. All those eager and ready young actors. We had to choose 30 kids from 78 auditions. How I hate this part!

I do believe the audition process is one way to gain confidence. Standing before an audience is good practice for standing before college recruiters, potential employers, political opponents and perky news reporters. Stage experience is one way to learn to think on your feet, expand boundaries and handle any situation.

Dale Carnegie believed that learning to speak in public was the way to win friends and influence people. I agree. High School Speech Class used to be a right of passage for all students. It is no longer a popular elective and fewer kids take advantage of the class. It's a pity. Not only do students learn to present themselves well- they learn to organize ideas, support opinions, evoke emotion and influence others. Speech is a good class to take. Strongly encourage the teen in your life to take advantage of all this subject has to offer.

Youth need to know how to present themselves in the best possible light. How to look someone in the eye. What a firm handshake is. How to make an introduction. They need to speak clearly and articulate ideas. Proper posture and body language is a deal maker. For a lucky few, this comes naturally, for the rest of us, this is an acquired art. An art that can be learned.

There are many ways to gain experience. Performance arts like choir, band, theatre or dance are great confidence builders. Public speaking opportunities through church, school and co-curricular activities train kids to think on their feet. Encourage your teen to run for offices, head up committees and to join clubs. Lots of schools have Broadcasting studios. FFA has an excellent public speaking emphasis. Boys and Girls State is a fabulous opportunity for kids selected to participate. Both Boy and Girl Scouts offer leadership training and "best foot forward" people skills. It's a simple equation. More experience=More confidence= More success.

As a parent, don't be afraid to prod a little bit. Many kids hesitate to do anything that draws attention to themselves. Others don't see the time involved or the effort required as worth their attention. Oh- foolish young person. Constructive activities that offer life skills are always worth the time! Presenting yourself confidently and appearing self-assured could get you anywhere. Even running for president.