Crisis Self Reflection

If at the beginning of the semester someone had told me I would be making public statements in front of our class, I would have thought they had lost it. I struggled with this class then, but I know now that it was worth it. I cannot count how many times I am grateful I stuck with it, instead of dropping it at the first sign of uncertainty. As I write this, I am thinking back to the first reflection from the transmedia study. I wrote that I wanted to see where this class would bring me by the end of the semester and I’m not surprised that I have changed. My comfort zone has definitely expanded, I have broken a few of my rules, and I feel more like the person I want to be. I was terrified when I first made that video, but had I not taken that …show more content…
It wasn’t until we had begun the role-playing exercise that I realized just how much I had to be involved. I had researched the role of a crisis PR; however, it did not sink in just how important they are with regards to a company. I thought I would be more behind the scenes, talking individually with people. That was not at all the case. Everything started right off in a whirlwind of people and ideas. I never realized just how many people are in this class until I had to speak with almost all of them. I had done quite a bit of research going into the event, however I skipped most facts on environmental concerns. This screwed me over, because so many people focused on that aspect. I would try to reroute their thinking to what I did know and force them to see it from a new …show more content…
I pushed away that voice in my head telling me I couldn’t do it, and before I could comprehend what was happening, I was back on that bench staring down into the crowd. This time it was easier to speak. I knew what I was talking about, so I started and kept at it until I had nothing left to say. As I finished, I did not know how the crowd would react. I was expecting silence or a bombardment of questions. What I did not expect was the applause by almost everyone in front of me. The feeling of relief swept over me, as I felt accepted by my classmates. I suppose that is one of my biggest fears. I want people to like me and I care about what others think. I try not to, and I know this is not how I want to go through life, but at the moment acceptance is important for me. Someday, I want to be so far from my current comfort zone, that I will look back and know that I have become a new and better person.
I believe that I had an influence on the outcome of the night. The few facts I did know were enough to have people questioning their stance on the issue, and I made sure to personalize each conversation I had. If I did not know, I would direct them to someone who could answer their questions. I knew this night would be memorable, and I am glad I stuck with this course to this assignment. Despite it absolutely terrifying me in the beginning, it forced me to confront my fears and anxiety of putting myself out