They Don’t Know You Exist

On stage fright, the people who run things, and where to spend your days

The first time I remember the fear, I was five. I was chosen to be the little drummer boy at the Christmas vigil mass. The task was simple, and I rehearsed it more times than a child that young should ever have to. Walk straight. Walk slowly — slower than you think you need to, even slower than that. You’ll feel like molasses and they’ll still tell you …