It's been a long time since I felt this uncertain and doubted myself this severely. I guess that's a consequence of really caring about putting on a good show so the audience feels it's worth their time, but also so the guys at Penny Arcade don't look and feel like idiots for inviting me.
I've spent this morning reading your comments (there's 109 right now, holy crap,) working over what I'd written and thrown away and rescuing parts that, in the light of day, aren't as bad as I thought they were. I've put it all together into an outline so I know what I'm talking about and where I'm going, and a speech that doesn't suck it is beginning to emerge.
I've also taken several breaks to play Mariokart DS, Cooking Mama, and Guitar Hero 2, which seems entirely appropriate given my stress and the task at hand.
Thank you all for your kind words, your encouragement, and most of all letting me know that, though I may feel old and out of touch (sending my son to college has given me a bit of an existential crisis, it appears, at least temporarily) it's clear from your comments that I can still tell stories that matter to you damn kids today. :)
Seriously. Thank you. I'm dialing it back to Defcon 3.
