Heroes Are Real People

I laughed and cried listening to Micca Campbell speak last year at She Speaks conference. Just beginning life as a widow she gave me hope for life I needed right then. Her humor gift and her communication skills were so excellent I felt like we two were the only ones in a room actually filled with hundreds of women. Yep, right that minute she became my heroine to emulate as I began this new walk as widow Kay.

A few days ago at this year's conference she was talking with one of my new friends. The friend, Carol Davis, pulled me over to introduce me to Micca. Carol is amazing (check her out on her daily radio show: http://www.wmit.org/programming/matt_in_the_morning.html.)

I tried to be cool and calm, but I couldn't. In typical Southern country unsophisticated style I began to ooh and ah. I told Micca I wrote up her story from the last conference on my blog. She looked a bit worried.......now that started me worrying. I had terrifying thoughts whirling through my head. Which lawyer should I call ... who won't mind me phoning them on Saturday? Oh, no ...I've messed up this time. I'm new at blogging and I began to think, "Oh, no my heroine is going to sue me for some lawyer-4-syllable-breach of something."

But...........drum roll, there is a happy ending to this saga. I sent Carol a link to the post I wrote on Micca. Just as I had assumed, Carol forwarded it to Micca. I felt like I needed to open up and let whatever was going to happen to get on with it. Here is that post and if you look at the comments my heroine, Micca, left a beautiful edifying comment. Whew! I'm thrilled she approved, but I'm relieved she didn't want to do something else.....ain't life wild in litiginous USA in 2009?

Here's a Micca!!!

Never Let 'Em See You Sweat!

My Aunt Eunice frequently told me my best self defense strategy was to keep my cool, no matter what. I think Aunt Eunice had read far too many mystery stories because she constantly had self defense on her mind in a quiet valley with only family within several miles in either direction.

But I did end up in some dangerous spots and no matter what, I could almost hear Aunt Eunice, "Girl, walk like you don't have a care in the world. Don't let them see your fear; keep your cool. Don't let them see you sweat." I'm navigationaly challenged and getting lost comes up often. Once I was having a ball in the Garment District of New York when I took a wrong turn into an alley that was terrifying and somehow I was no longer in the Garment District. But, I walked like I knew exactly where I was going and finally I circled back into the street I knew.

Today I'm paying tribute to Micca Campbell who is the queen of "Don't Let Them See You Sweat." She was a keynote speaker in the She Speaks Conference (http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/) this past May. Enjoy her story and see if you agree that she is the "queen" since she kept coming back around these folks after this incident. Micca Campbell, was the conference's last keynote speaker. This beautiful young woman had me laughing minutes after taking the mike. Since I hope to develop humor here and in my presentations I listened intently to Micca's stories. As nutty as some of my most embarrassing moments have been, she’s topped me with this one:

Micca rushed to get to the hotel for the She Speaks conference several years ago. With no time to freshen up for a leadership preliminary meeting she threw her clothes on. When she entered the ground floor elevator alone she realized she had this tiny bit of time to straighten her clothes properly.

With the wood paneling surrounding her she faced the door, flung off her shoes, bent over, and threw her skirt up on her back. Now, she had time to get her twisted pantyhose on straight. She started working her stretchy clingy panty hose on properly from her toes up to her waist. She made sure everything was just right.

She sighed with some relief....Whew....oh no! Suddenly Micca realized the surrounding walls of the elevator were now glass. Those solid wooden walls she noticed on entering the elevator were permanent fixtures to the ground floor only. Once the elevator rose to the second floor the true glass walls were her only surrounding. She peered behind her to look into shocked diners' faces in the main dinning room below her. All those high paying diners got their meal and a show!!! Talk about a floor show.

Micca's re-enactment of her bending over and wrestling with her pantyhose cannot be described....it must be experienced. For several years Micca has returned to speak at She Speaks in the same hotel. Aunt Eunice would have applauded her checking into the hotel and the staff elbowing one another, "That's the elevator lady." She just walked right by and never gave into the temptation to try to explain any of the matter. Finally She Speaks changed meeting sites and Micca said checking in was so pleasant this year.

She may have become a legend: that elevator lady; but she knew how to handle it as a true Southern belle: Never let them see you sweat!

Micca is a treasure in the Kingdom of God that I am truly thanking God for today. Her website is http://www.miccacampbell.com/. Thank you, Micca, for your heart, your soul and your gift… and the laughs. You were the laughter Rx I needed.

Comments:

Pinkshoelady said...

Hi Kay,
I was there when she told that story. I laughed until my side hurt.
Are you going to She Speaks again?
If you are I'd like to meet you in person.

Thanks for all your encouragement and helpful advice.

I will be speaking on some of that advice in a post coming soon...hopefully this weekend.

Love to you
Pamela

October 17, 2008 4:29 AM

Micca said...

Dear Kay, It was a treat meeting you at She Speaks. I had to look you up. Before I could, Carol Davis sent me this link! I read your story about me and laughed out loud!

I hope you enjoyed She Speaks and will return again next year. You exude joy!

blessings,
Micca

August 3, 2009 1:03 PM