Was pretty awesome!I was so nervous to stand up in front of 30-40 people and talk about being in an open relationship. It was the first time that I had outed myself to so many people that I didn't know, all at once. But I think it went really well.
J came with me, which helped me more than I thought it would. It was so amazing to look over at him as I was talking or answering a question, and feel supported and safe.
One of my favorite parts of the presentation was being called over during the small group discussion to talk to two of the football players in my class. They were so cute about asking me, How did you guys get into that? Who brought up the idea? What exactly do you guys do? I loved the sense of normalcy I helped bring to the idea of open relationships. I solicited feedback from students, and here are some of the really awesome responses I got:
"You did an excellent job and I know many of my classmates were very impressed with your openness and honesty. Thank you for presenting."
"...who better to lecture on a topic then one who has experience? Your personal experience was the most interesting part."
"It WAS helpful in understanding to hear personal experience. You can learn all the facts you want, but it will only be useful if you can apply it to your own life. A presenter that brings in personal experience brings in more than just fact. He or she creates a more relatable/comfortable atmosphere that makes it easier to understand certain topics. An example was the Q&A section at the end."
Yay for a little ego boost, and for helping people learn about another component of human sexuality and relationships! :-D
proud of you!
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