Telling personal stories, changing my life

The last task I completed, before finishing level 3 was tell a story about a difficult time in my life.

I had many of those, so it was not so difficult to find a difficult time. This was when I had to change profession, in 1980. First, my father died. Then, as I went back, after a whole month of absence to Washington DC - near which I lived then, my visa was crossed out at the airport.

After 2 hours letting me wait, finally I was told, I can go in as tourist, for maximum 2 month. Had to send my son ahead of me back to Paris suburb, to stay with his father, my ex, to begin school. My daughter remained as student - and had to find money to pay her room and studies.


Arrived to Paris, with all I had in four suitcases, I did found in two weeks looking day by day, a place to live, a tiny apartment but on top of Butte Montmartre. Then I went into finding a work as chemist, or researcher in chemistry.

The story I told at Witty Birds, started here. Finally, I did find a job so different from what I had before! Teaching beginners using computing on small devices. Discovering through it, the Apple II computer. From then on, my story goes farther. I will have to look if my performance was recorded today.

An old version I told a few times in 2010, one of it deciding me to study comedy. exist online and is also in my CompetentCommunicator.blogspot.co.uk/ blog it is called Mistaken Identity. It was a defining moment in my life: "How can I make audience laugh when I want it? Not by chance."

Once, I will find a way to tell in 30 minutes. So much to tell!
Tell more of the misery and more of the wonderful feeling that changing profession gave me after all at the end. It did give me finally, after many wondering and sorrow, the possibility to participate in the Personal Computer revolution. To found a company. Write about new things that come out, publish books. And so many more.

This days, my young audience laughs a lot when I tell anything about web or computer programs used by me, they think old folks should not know about all that! Well, I did begin "old" already: I was 48 old at the time and most around me were young guys. So I have been into "computers" for longer then most who listen to me, whom I meet. As much as I liked my old profession, Chemistry, I did love my second profession, Personal Computers. And did believe in it from the very beginning.

Level 3 Visionary Communication Completed

Storytelling is essential to me, so I will continue to create new stories, tell my old ones in different ways too. And, whenever possible, offer storytelling workshops. That is one reason we created Witty Storytellers Online. In our online club, we do not give speeches, we offer stories!

I added to this post the points used to give feedback to a storytelling in Pathways : it is an elective. Finishing the second elective, I got my level three certificate. Here it is.

The elective at level 4 is this blog! And at least 8 posts in the following days. There is only one "must" elective at that level but I will add also "creating an online meeting". A new one, not all the old ones I already did create and lead. The main task is tougher, if well done, so I will do it slowly.

Keep with me, as I have lots to say about Change and how to prepare and announce it.