The Talking Traveller

One thing about having a public diary, as with a personal diary is the importance of honesty. Thus I am going to be honest in say that this week has not been my best in terms of contacts. I have visited several of London's premier attractions including the London Eye, London Dungeon, Science Museum, National Gallery and other galleries, museums and sqaure's. I also had a job interveiw on wednesday, had 2 telephonic interveiws on Tuesday and attended the London McGuire Support Group on Tuesday. Did a "Jack the Ripper" tour last night and some clothes washing today. I applied for abour 5 other jobs as well. "Suddenly I feel that I am beginning to prove wrong my initial statement!? I can be hard on myself sometimes...." In terms of numbers I have only made 100 contacts since monday. I need to pick up speed. I think I lack some motivation. Thus I give to you some internal mechanism of motivation that I have developed.

 

In order to keep fit and have a good body you need to practice. To keep off the weight you have practice and exercise.In order to become very good at any sport you have to repeat the basic actions and exercises endlessly. That is the only way that all professional sportsman acheived their level of excellence, and also applies to business, art, music ,literature, science and  all other areas of life where you find extraordinary people. I am constantly reminded of this in the everyday world. When I was visiting Sydney I went to a the National Art Gallery there. It was during the Biannalie festival which is basically a bi-annual  festival of comtemporary art. There on display was the scrap-book pencil drawings of quite a famous artist. They pasted his "practice" drawings on the walls and it must have covered almost 40 sqaure meter. Drawing after drawing after drawing of people in the everyday life, almost 300 pages of just one of his scrap books. He must have taken years just to draw his "practice" drawings.  The outcome is that he is a famous australian artist, and people will admire and enjoy his paintings for a very long time. The is also seen in sports, my sport interest is karate. Our goju-ryu head master sensei is Mario Higgiona, 8th Dan (appologies for incorrect spelling). He is world famous and has featured in many karate-documentaries and is well respected. Our head sensei in South-Africa told us that he practices even the most basic white-belt exercises every for hours on end, and then progresses to the most advanced kata's etc. And again I can relate it to my now current sport, which is, the sport of speaking. That is why I need to practise basic breathing, and communication routines many many times. In our case as stutterers it is even more significant because we have to dislearn old speaking habits and thought patterns. We designed and taught these patterns ourselves as a matter of survival during our out-of-control stuttering days. It will take alot of practice and repetition to engrave the "new" patterns permanently. And if you (I) want to excell and eventually be excellent I need to excell in my practice. That is why it is good for me to still do contacts even though I "feel" I can approach anybody and talk on any subject.........Phew, isn't the mind an amazing thing!? The ol' chatterbox or internal voice. Glad I got that out

 

Anyway, good news!!!!!!!!! I got a job !!!!! I wil be trained on monday as a Pierman. O yes, a pierman. This was the result of the interveiw that I had on wednesday. It involves me wearing black shoes, black trousers, a long sleeve white coller shirt and a jacket supplied by the company. I will look dashing and will be the first contact person for people leaving ferries  and arriving back on land. I will greet them with a smile and escort them to the nearby coaches. I will have to talk on a walkie-talkie and probably engage in comman chit-chat with the folk. I will work every other day from early until late from the 18th - 30th.  This is definately what I was looking for as a job, just thinking about talking on a walkie-talkie sends cold chills of excitement down my spine, as that was always something that I feared. And I won't have to go out to find contacts, that come to me! Ha ha ha (semi Dr. evil laugh) Face your fear and your fear will dissapear! I am the talking traveller! See new pics at "my face" and london.  Do you feel motivated now? I do!