By: Ethan Cao

When I was little, I used to be so excited to present my work to everyone. I felt so happy to crawl onto the stage and speak gibberish. I loved to show off. People would congratulate me, saying, “Oh, you did so well. Good job!” I would feel so happy.

Now, as I grow older, everything is serious. No more nonsense and speaking gibberish. These days, when I go on stage, expectations for me are much higher, the pressure is stricter and many would believe that you’re already mature enough.

When I go onto the stage, those many eyes staring at me blankly, I speak. With my back dripping sweat and damp hands clasped together, I went onto the stage and took a deep breath; then, I started to speak. The audience didn’t have any emotion or reaction, so I shouted,” CAN THEY EVEN HEAR WHAT I’M SAYING.” My legs wobbled and trembled. It felt like I was about to break down on my knees and cry, “You failed; you’re so dumb.”

Then I think to myself, “I started, then why don’t I finish it” I speak for about 3 minutes about drugs, and I stare at the audience with sudden happiness. I think, “I did it! I finally succeeded!”. Everyone stared at me, and I realized that I didn’t finish. I must end with an inspirational quote. I think. Everyone just sat and stared at me like they were saying, “What? What is this man doing? Does he have problems?” “Aha! Those are the words I am looking for!”.

I stutter, and then the words spill out of my mouth like I’m laughing. I say, “Drugs take you to hell disguised as heaven.” The crowd stares at me again, and suddenly they all start clapping like a stampede in the room. I cry tears of joy and laugh. Knowing that I succeeded feels like a dream come true.

To succeed, you must try. To succeed, you must fail multiple times. To achieve this, you have to be brave and take risks. Take time to practice and reflect. And at that moment, you’ll be able to fight great monsters that you never thought you were capable of fighting. Stand up to it. That’s how I stood up to the fear of public speaking.