7:30pm - Unknown Utah phone number calls me on my cell phone. Usually when this happens, it's somebody from the ward asking when and where FHE is (I am FHE coordinator for the ward). Seeing as it is a Tuesday, I should have sensed that something was awry. But being the curious person that I am, I decided to answer just to ease my curiosity. It was the dreaded phone call from the first counselor in the bishopric. My heart sank when I heard these words: "Bro. so-and-so, would you be able to give a talk in sacrament meeting this coming Sunday?"
Sunday? This Sunday? I'm going out of town for MLK weekend! Maybe there's hope. "Oh this Sunday I'll be out of town for the long weekend. Sorry," I reply. I pray that they have plans for the next few Sundays to come, but, alas, this is never the case in the Mormon Church. They always have backup plans. "Well, how about the following week? Or you could even do it on the 31st," was his reply. Noooooo! I thought. But what was I suppsed to tell him? Oh, actually I don't really want to because I cannot continue to attend a church that discriminates against who I am. These words are probably best saved for a meeting with the Bishop, not as a way to get out of a Sacrament Talk. So, anyway, my topic for this joyous occasion is "Making Choices." I admit it's not the worst topic to be given, but I still would rather not do the whole thing at all. I have always been bad at public speaking. Every talk that I have given has turned into a disaster. A talk that I planned to be 15 minutes, ended up being 5 because I began racing through my outline so fast and I skipped several key points so that I am sure it didn't make a lick of sense to anybody.
Bah! Why? Why me? I don't want to give this talk, but as I am still not out to anybody, I am still keeping up appearances to please those around me. I really need to break out of this shell that I have been put into. I am tired of being someone I am not.
Anyway, to end this post on a lighter note, I have decided to leave you with this scene from one of my all-time favorite movies:
