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It has been said, "One of the greatest fears is public embarrassment." One of my students' favorite lessons was on goof preparation. Knowing that we all make mistakes and that we can prepare for them, gives us more freedom to be natural. Here are two of the stories I used to illustrate how thinking on your feet, when a "goof" occurs, can make you a star rather than a joke.

Goof I.

The Fairmont Hotel was the setting for San Francisco's premier showing of the new fall fashions. The city's most popular and beautiful mannequins were selected to model for an elite group of elegant and fashion conscious residents. A runway was placed in the middle of the huge ballroom beginning at the giant double doors and ending in a T shape at the opposite end of the room. The tables, chairs, flowers, candles and runners were stark white. Even the guests wore white or cream to accent the bold fall colors.

San Francisco's most famous model opened the show. She wore her coal black hair slicked back from her porcelain face and collected smoothly into a small bun at the base of her long slender neck. As she entered the center of the runway, she made a graceful twirl and posed, smiling broadly while softly acknowledging the crowd with her sparkling blue eyes.

She wore a regal burgundy red gown. Its costly fabric accented her perfect torso and small waist before falling in giant folds to the floor. She glided down the runway, doing perfectly executed Dior turns at 10-foot intervals. All eyes were riveted on her as she reached the center of the long runway.

At this point, it happened! The under slips which supported the yards of fabric in the skirt, descended gently around her ankles. The professional model carefully extracted one foot and then the other from the waistband of the slip. She gracefully stooped, picked up the under skirts at the band and continued down the runway, showing the slips to the audience on each side. As she did her final turn, she placed the undergarment over her arm and curtsied to her adoring fans.

No one had ever seen such an original way to sell both a ball gown and its under slips

Goof II.

It was Fiesta time in Santa Barbara. El Paseo, the traditional Fiesta hang out, was filled to capacity for the luncheon fashion show. The models were displaying beautifully made Spanish costumes featuring seas of brilliantly colored cotton ruffles covering their long lean bodies. All eyes were on the balcony where a dozen of the most glamorous models were preparing to descend the steps to the terrace below.

The lead model fluttered a lace fan in front of her face, leaving only her eyes and torso in view of the audience. As she glided down the stone stairs, her hand gently resting on the rail, she slipped, disappearing below the banister and entirely out of sight. Without missing a beat, she replaced her feet carefully on the stairs and holding onto the banister, she slowly raised her head above the railing continuing to flutter her lace fan. Smoothly she departed the stairway and elegantly walked onto the runway.

The audience was impressed by what they thought was an extremely exciting and innovative entrance. It was not until after the show was over that anyone, other than the models, knew otherwise.

Drawing by Lawrence Thompson Architect of El Paseo Courtyard and Entrance to La Belle Agency and School

Goof III. Blooper for Sale

Then there are those who let you know they have goofed even though you didn't see them!

On my way home from work, I was listening to a local radio station and heard the announcer describing a fund raising event. After mentioning the time and location, he continued to enumerate the various handmade items that would be on sale. Finally he said, "You will also be able to purchase beautiful crotched handkerchiefs".

In disbelief I stared at my radio. There was no sound now. It seemed to pulsate with embarrassment for an interminable length of time. Then, with a very sheepish, halting voice, the reporter questioned, "Crocheted handkerchiefs?"

Had he continued to read his commentary, I'm confident I would have ignored the error thinking that surely this "crotched" handkerchief was something that I was unaware existed.

Goof IV. Fashion Fall

There was standing room only. The elegant Coral Casino ball room was jammed with beautifully dressed models, professional talent and an audience decked out to rivel both. The stage had been masterfully designed with the podium to one side and the runway jutting to the end of the room, where it met with television cameras and still photographers. The tables were decorated in black and white and crammed together like bars on sheet music.

We had gathered together to benefit the Self-Esteem Learning Foundation. Its goal is to raise individual self-esteem by training young people in the Santa Barbara City Schools in techniques of living successfully and responsibly. All the models and talent present had begun their professional training with the same self-esteem course that would be given free of charge in the public schools. Their job that night was to show the difference that self-esteem training had made in their lives and careers.

The program was to start with pre-school through high school and continue from college to mature models showing fall fashions from local merchants. Routines had been memorized, mixing the boys and girls, and saving the professional models in the finest fashions for the last hour of the extravaganza.

It was my first big performance since my marriage. My 6'4" husband, dressed in his black tux, looking distinguished and beaming in support, sat about six rows in front of the podium. With excitement and pride, I announced the purpose and program for this glamorous event. It was my job to clarify the "self-esteem" training.

My explanation was sucsinct and intellectual. Then saying something like "Here are the results of self-esteem training," I took two steps stage left and disappeared from view!

I found myself on the floor behind the set. I heard screams, gasps and shrieks as I scrambled to my feet and back on to the stage, just in time to see my husband, a regular basket ball player, jumping over tables to get to me. There was no time to think, no time to plan an appropriate explanation for my falling from an unlit stage that was shorter than the set behind me. There was no time to be embarrassed or wonder if my body was damaged by the four foot drop. Smiling calmly, I stated, "And that's what self-esteem is all about!"

The lesson I taught from this story was the importance in trusting in ones self, knowing that we all goof from time to time and that whatever happens we can handle it and sometimes use it to our advantage.

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