Presentable

April 01, 2025

I am preparing a talk.

It used to be way off into the future, but right now it is, somehow, happening at the end of next week.

I do of course want to rehearse more, but I am feeling both excited rather than nervous, and unusually well prepared. I know the story I want to tell, I have balanced amount of material for the time, and, crucially, I know how to wrap it all up.

Often when I try to think of a talk topic, I get stuck wondering about that wrap-up. My mind seems good at generating things which feel like they belong somewhere in the middle. There is a topic, there are good and interesting things to say, but that neat and natural way of tying it up and together is somehow much more elusive.

This time, I managed to figure the end out very soon after thinking of the topic in the first place. I still wonder if it was just one-off luck or if I have learned something which is repeatable. I very much would like to, knowing how to wrap things up is a great help in telling stories, and I enjoy telling a story when I get the chance.

Ending a text like this in a way I feel happy with?

Significantly easier.