autobiography excerpt

Here is an excerpt from my autobiography that I especially like. It's sort of a side note in the larger narrative, but it deals with my intense stage fright, which I combat by always forcing myself in situations where I have to face that. I guess I should talk a bit more about that in my autobiography.

We signed our names on the list of performers for the open mic, and then it was my turn to play. I swung the guitar strap around my shoulders, looked around at the crowd and nervously started to strum. But I couldn’t remember the words. I couldn’t remember what the hell I was playing, so I just kept strumming the same chords and looking up at the ceiling with a pitifully panicked smile. My voice cracked and petered out. I probably looked like I was going to be sick. I forced a chuckle out and tried again. A man sitting in the front tried to coax me.

“You’re doing just fine,” he said.

I tried to smile. I started singing, and with starts and stops, with knees shaking and voice wobbling, I attempted to finish the song, shakily, as it had begun. In the back, I could see Rob standing, with his eyes focused on me, with a slow smile.