And the Audience Roared
I was nervous this past Saturday morning. I’ve been nervous plenty of times before, but this time felt different. The moment was bigger, and the crowd was larger. Closing my eyes, I could feel two armies of butterflies battling inside me. One wielded fear and uncertainty, while the other championed excitement and optimism. Neither would give ground as the minutes ticked by.
I sat in the green room of the Marin Center in San Rafael, California. People milled around me, but I did my best to remain aloof as I reflected upon the remarks I would soon give. To my left sat the seven finalist teams in the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge. I should have been chatting with them, offering smiles and gratitude before we would be escorted backstage, but I couldn’t muster it. The butterfly armies wouldn’t let me.
