I have been looking forward to it for a long time, reading to the kids at the local library. I did a very abridged Cinderella for the wee ones a few months ago and today was secondary school kids, so I went with an abridged version of Gulliver’s Travels. And yes, in the original 1660’s English. In my mind I envisioned an erudite group of tiny humans who would track my every nuance, sitting rapt in attention drawn into the story and experiencing the fantasy. This was the way it was laid out in my mind.

Mice and men.

What I got was a mixed bag of preschoolers and 3rd graders. As my wife often reminds me, I am obsessive compulsive. I showed up in costume, brought my portable sound system and presented Lilliput to Lilliputians.

Deb said it was great, but she’s my wife and not only is she biased, but I pay her to salve my ego.

My ego…..well there. I said it. I quit live performance a number of years ago because my ego had grown so malignant that I couldn’t stand to be in the same costume with myself. And it happened again today, when I should have been sitting cross-legged reading something remotely interesting to my diminutive audience, I stood there like an actor on the Royal Shakespeare stage.

Yea, these were supposed to be kids who were a little older, but me and my ego screwed the pooch. I was good and I sucked at the very same moment. I took something that should have been a casual event and turned it into my private stage. I get another shot at it in two weeks this time I think I will put a little humility where my ego used to be.