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TED Reflection

My presentation went better and worse than expected.

It was worse in that I forgot when to change the slides sometimes (although one time, it wasn't my fault). It was worse in that I read off the note cards far more frequently than I expected and would have liked. It was worse when I started shaking towards the beginning. It was possibly worse in that I can't remember where I looked; I hope I looked at the audience, but I really don't know.

It was better in the audience reaction. Even though I practiced in front of friends, they couldn't accurately represent my audience's reactions because they were too close to me and the project. In addition, I will admit to using the audience's laughter as an opportunity to find my place on the note card. I count this as a positive because I didn't have the option in front of the small-scale practice groups. It was better because of the questions, which were far more numerous than I expected.

Something both good and bad was that I frequently strayed from what I wrote on the note cards. Sometimes the audience could certainly tell, and sometimes I'm positive they couldn't. I think many of the improvised actions and comments added to the overall value of my speech, though some detracted. I was disappointed in myself for not preparing well enough.

I would give myself somewhere around 27/30, with points off for preparation, reading off the cards, and overall public speaking skills. I know I made mistakes and I know I could have done better, but I was pretty satisfied overall with my performance.

What now?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfWW1gWyMoo

     Brooke has kindly shown me this commercial. I apologize if you cannot see it, but I'm not going to go through all the trouble of downloading it from YouTube and uploading it on Vimeo. (Not that I know how. I also think I remember agreeing to some sort of "original content" thing on Vimeo, so it might be taken down anyway.)

     For those who cannot watch, it's a Miracle-Gro commercial that basically rips off my gardening story. It even shows the dead plant in elementary school. Unfortunately, this woman got my happy ending, and I'm left with radish stems.

     Maybe I can put the stems in a salad, once they grow enough. Maybe a soup. Or pesto? There are tons of not-disgusting-at-all recipes that I can make to dispose of my useless radish stems.

Yummy yummy radish stem soup. Looks delicious.

     I'm trying to be optimistic, in case you can't tell. I'll admit, I expected at least one radish, but I never thought this many sprouts would grow. Sprouts are pretty cool, right?

     Honestly, I'm just sort of at a loss for what to do now. I know I learned a Valuable Lesson from this experience, but couldn't I have walked away with a lesson and a radish?

I JUST WANT A SINGLE RADISH.

     Actually, I don't think I'm too upset about the radish itself. I'm just sad that my little sprouts didn't get the treatment they deserved. I suppose I grew more attached to them than I predicted. I was rooting for them. (Pun slightly intended.) I wanted them to do well, and it seemed like they were, but to learn that they were doomed from the start? That's tough. But hey, they're not dead yet. As long as they keep growing, they still have a chance. Maybe. If not, I have plenty more radish seeds... Summer might be a good time to try again.

Surprise!

     So... Apparently a week can make a big difference. This was what I saw when I came back from vacation.

     Remember our friends, sawdust and compost? There is now visible growth in all five pots. Honestly, I almost gave up on the ones outside, especially after the control pot started growing when I moved it inside. And I heard there was snow while I was gone? These radishes confuse me. Maybe I should just stay away from them from now on. I think they hated me so much that they didn't want to grow until it was way, way too late. I'm not sure whether to be grateful or annoyed. I'll admit, I'm glad that the gardening methods actually worked, to a degree. I always thought the sawdust method was cool.

     In other news, the stems and leaves of the pebble pot have grown much sturdier and more radish-like (although the snipped off ones didn't grow back), yet there's still no sign of actual radishes. Drew agreed that the radishes aren't getting enough sun and kindly offered to recommend lighting supplies, which I'm afraid I have to decline. At this point, I feel like it would be beating a dead horse. I wanted this to work out, but I can admit defeat.

I suppose I'm just doomed to a life of plant killing.

I accept my title with grace.

P.S.- The Google image results for "plant killer" are surprisingly dissatisfying.

Quick Update

      Brooke has pointed out this thread. I actually found it before and just chose to ignore it (I don't want to cut my radishes!), but desperate times call for snipping my babies in half. I'm going to cut a few of the radishes in the pebble and plastic pots and see if that makes a difference.