Chance of Disaster

I just returned from speaking at an agricultural conference in Idaho this weekend. Though I do several speaking engagements like this every year, before each one I am consumed with fear that something is going to go terribly wrong. This conference and trip was no exception. I don't fear speaking in public, but I do fear technical or logistic problems.

First there was the storm. I feared I would have to cancel the trip if the roads out of the county would be closed or that damage to my house prevented me from going. Once all was clear I was able to worry if I remembered everything I needed to bring.

I was hurried at the airport and I forgot to remove my laptop from the bag and it went through the scanner. The TSA agents discovered it after they began the scan and removed it from my bag and bawled me out for not knowing to remove the laptop. Then they scanned it again. I don't know if they reduce the power when they scan laptops. This is all new to me.

In a panic on the other side I booted up the computer and sure enough the computer had some sort of problem from the scan. It performed a scandisk and automatically checked for errors. I thought it was ruined, but then I remembered I had my presentation on a memory stick, but then I realized that the memory stick was in my pocket when I was scanned so that was probably ruined as well.

Finally my computer booted up and all my programs worked and my data was all there. All my data was still on my memory stick as well.

As it turned out everything after that went smoothly. My presentations came together and worked well. The only problem was that someone who promised to bring some items for a technical demonstration never showed up. My presentations were well received and I’ve been invited to speak again at the conference next year in Idaho.

With this engagement out of the way I can can count down the days to my next engagement in March. I can start worrying about the next speaking engagement.