I think that the biggest lesson I learned all year is that I can’t let my shyness rule my actions.  I have always felt the need to hold back and not make a scene.  Here’s how shy I can be – it can be my birthday and I can be celebrating at home with friends and family.  As soon as they bring out the cake with candles lit and start singing the birthday song TO ME, I want to run and hide.  Another shy example was when I was in high school and even in college and taking foreign languages (I studied German, Latin and Ancient Greek in college to support my History degree) if we had to practice speaking in class, I was always really afraid to speak to my neighbors because it felt like a performance.  So, you can see that shyness has had a profound effect on my life.

I believe my shyness really started when I was in grade school.  There were two events that shattered my young ego and set the stage for what I described above.  First, my second grade teacher sent me to another classroom to retrieve the big can of scissors for an art project and when I entered the classroom and interrupted the lesson, the teacher asked me what I wanted and I replied, “Can I have the scissors?” to which she replied, “I don’t know, can you?” which garnered a huge laugh from the students (also second graders and many were my friends) which embarrassed me and caused me to correct myself and ask, “MAY I have the scissors?”  Now, I understood she was trying to teach a “lesson” in grammar, but the humiliation of being called out like that in front of my friends was horrifying.

The second event occurred after it got out that I had a picture of one of my classmates, a VERY popular girl in my class, in my wallet.  Mind you, this was the second or third grade.  Girls had cooties back then.  But, nonetheless, I really thought she was cute and so I kept her picture in my wallet.  One day, in a fit of stupidity, I let it be known to a couple of the boys in the class about this and before I knew it, she found out.  Then, a day or so later, as we were lining up as a class (boys and girls) to go in from recess, she loudly announced to me, in front of our whole class, how she hated my guts.  Needless to say, if I could, I would have melted into the ground right there, but I didn’t.  Again, everyone thought this was the height of hilarity, accept me of course.  Ahh, the joy of youth.

So, why am I admitting all of this?  Because I attended a one day “un-conference” known as BarCamp.  BarCamp is a day long series of sessions devoted to tech and geek topics like blogging, social media, podcasting, digital media, etc. and one of the sessions I attended as a session called “Networking in Nashvegas” which was a fancy name for a session on how to mingle and build relationships, particularly business relationships.  And, during this session, the two ladies giving the talk asked if anyone was shy.  Of course, being the honest guy I am, I raised my hand.  Naturally, they called on me and a person named Hannah and asked us to come forward.  They then proceeded to roleplay with us about how to break your shyness and “mingle” based on the body language of the other people we might try to meet or mingle with.  And, because of their open, honest approach and the advice they gave, I found that it’s actually quite easy to overcome my shyness in many situations where before I would be afraid of being noticed or speaking out in a crowd of strangers.

Because of BarCamp and this session in particular, I have started to make friends in the Nashville “tech/geek” community and to develop a good network of business contacts that will only get better and richer as time progresses.  I have joined the Nashville Geek Breakfast group that meets monthly for breakfast and networking.  And, I have even volunteered to be part of the spring “un-conference” known as PodCamp for 2010.  Finally, after over 35 years of avoiding the spotlight and any kinds of confrontation, I am finally out and facing the world with a new sense of “self” and the knowledge that it’s perfectly OK to be me and if the world doesn’t like it, well, it’s not my problem.

What is BarCamp Nashville you ask??? Well, from the official website:

BarCamp is Nashville’s free “un”-conference for the digital and technical community. The BarCamp format was brought to Nashville by Marcus Whitney and Dave Delaney in 2007. It’s free to attend — thanks to our generous sponsors — and the un-conference format encourages community learning: attendees are also encouraged to sign up to present a session. (Did we mention it’s free?)

BarCamp has become the premier technology conference in Nashville, bringing together the best minds and representation of the hottest companies in the internet, entrepreneurial, new media, and software industries, among others. Over 300 people attended the first year, and 2008′s attendance was nearly double. We’re projecting great growth for 2009. Sign up today to attend, and consider signing up to speak as well!

Pretty cool, huh?!?! It was 7 hours of sessions, all 30 minutes in length with lunch available and even drinks from the bar! There were sessions on everything from blogging and podcasting to programming for the web and the iPhone to legal issues surrounding digital content and even how to network at gatherings. Dave Delaney gave a tremendous talk about what happens to your online presence after you pass on entitled, “We’re all going to DIE!!”

I have attended various conferences and workshops in the past and I can honestly say that BarCamp was far and away more informative and beneficial than any other “professional” event I’ve ever attended. We, here in Nashville, have a vibrant and active “tech” community that seeks to not only encourage collaboration among the many tech folks and companies in the area but also to put Nashville on the tech “map” so that we can not only grow the tech community but so that our community can be a leader in innovation in the tech community at large.

I originally heard about this conference from a friend (one of my kayaking buddies) who was on the planning committee for this year’s BarCamp. She suggested I should come since she knew I was looking for something better to do for a “job” and knew that at the very least, I’d have an opportunity to get some good information but also to meet some like-minded tech savvy “geeks”. And, let me tell you, she was absolutely right.

Thru BarCamp, I have made a number of new friends. And, this might sound weird, but for the first time in my 45 years, these friends were NOT related to my work or my school or my family. For the first time in my adult life, I’m making friends without the benefit of these other arenas. And, it is a little strange for me. But, at the same time, it is also wonderful.  Ah, but I digress.  This will all be covered under one of the upcoming Best of Blog Challene 2009 topics, so stay tuned.

The biggest thing I got out of BarCamp was the knowledge and inspiration to take a big step forward and to launch a website based on one of my passions: helping others achieve their dreams, as I mentioned at the very end of my post for the first day of the Best of Blog Challenge.  BarCamp gave me the strength of mind to start The Dream Shepherd.  And, while it’s definitely a work in progress, it is my baby and I am hoping to make it a place for others to find inspiration and the tools necessary to excel and/or achieve their dreams.  After all, it’s better to start a trip than to plan it out forever.  As Lao-tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”  And, the knowledge gained at BarCamp gave me the courage to take that first step.  My journey has begun and I feel awesome!