Harrumph

I just gave a talk to a community support group for persons living with fibromyalgia. When I showed up the facilitator reminded me that I’d spoken to this group three times in the past, including one workshop I gave at the very start of my practice.
 
When I began 20 years ago I marketed my practice by going anywhere to talk to any group about the power of hypnotism. In an era before overhead projectors I carried a folding chartpad in a shoulder-slung case (I recall it was called the Voyager Traveling Presentation System) that I used to give my talks. Later I switched to transparencies projected onto a screen using a portable projector, and in recent years I use a small PowerPoint projector hooked up to a slim MacBook Air computer.
 
I used to have a whole catalogue of workshops that I would do. If you are curious there is a copy of the catalogue from 2000 in the Download Section of my website (www.csgiles.org) which was the last year I used one. I have time to give fewer free lectures and workshops these days, but I still do them and think they are important.
 
After I gave this talk a guy from the audience came up and said “I remember you from 20 years ago. You stank. You do a much better job giving presentations now.” Talk about back-handed compliments.
 
“Thanks,” I replied. “I remember you too. You’re nowhere near as objectionable as you were then too.” He got the joke and we had a laugh.
 
But Harrumph....