Late hour regrets

It's 7:30 at night. I've been getting ready all day to facilitate a one-day Forum this coming Thursday, and I am not done yet. It's exhausting! Why did I suggest a four-person panel discussion followed by a moderated question and answer session for the morning? Who's idea was it to get five speakers - none of whom I've met - in the afternoon??

It reminds me of the hour before guests arrive for the party, or two days before Christmas. You know, that "it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time" feeling.

My shoulders ache from being hunched over a keyboard all day, and despite having about fifteen days of music in my I-tunes folder, I am tired of the repertoire.

Sigh.

And yet, I know I will be high as a kite by noon on Thursday. I can only remember one session in the last year or so that made induced panic rather than euphoria. I was leading a planing session for a non-profit client with a very opinionated and ultra-democratic Board and staff in attendance. The energy and commitment was fabulous, but the session blazed off the agenda in the first half-hour. Thank goodness I had a co-facilitator with whom I could retreat to the bar at the end of Day One for an emergency re-plan.

Come to think of it, I have the same person - my old buddy Lynn Swanson - with me this coming Thursday. She can time-keep, man the Parking Lot and help me keep my notes and props in order.

I am soooo fortunate in my colleagues. I have long-time workmates to try out ideas with me, offer input on likely group dynamics, make visuals look pretty and debrief for the lessons learned over a nice glass of chilled something or other. Lucky me!