It was a regular thing when I was a child. I’d often play the old lady in school plays. As a 14 year old, my idea of an old person was a shaky voice and an even shakier body. At times, I’d host school events. I copied jokes from Reader’s digest to make it more engaging but scrapped the jokes when I got no laughs.

As an adult, I haven’t done any but can see myself enjoying it once I get over the nerves. Last month, I attended a conference where the key speaker started off by stepping away from the podium and singing. She looked the audience in the eye throughout and had many of us with damp eyes by the end of it. If I get an opportunity to speak publicly, I want to be like that.