El Presidente Goes Commando

Do you ever have those out of body experiences where you are looking down at yourself thinking "this cannot be happening"?

It was my very first big meeting at my new job. More then 500 people in the audience and President was on stage, I was in the first row with a headset on linking me to the tech booth at the back of the room when my career changed forever.

I was listening to the presentation on stage with the technicians voices in the background when I thought I heard my name....
"Do you copy?"
Do I copy what? I once copied my lab partner during a test in high school but that is not what they meant.
"Yes" I replied pressing the button on my headset.
"There is a video coming up, when it does we need you to go up on stage and switch the microphone that the presenter is wearing."
What the H-E-Double hockey sticks?
"Ready? Video in 3....2.....1" and then I was out of my body.

I watched my stunned self half crawl half run up the aisle and up the stairs onto the stage where I startled the presenter when I whispered as loud as my body would allow "Sir, I need to switch your mic"
Looking shocked and very annoyed he started to remove the microphone from the lapel of his shirt......pulling the cord from the inside of his jacket and finally in what seemed like an hour pulled the receiver from his belt loop. Except it didn't come off. The cord from the mic was stuck on something on his pants!

With the video still rolling the tugging began, I was sweating like OJ Simpson in court "holy shit, it's STUCK!". Whilst the presenter was pulling the cord I suddenly saw the problem....the cord was stuck on a button on the INSIDE of his pants. Chanting silently "do it for the team" and with seconds left on the video when the lights would come up to spotlight me and the presenter in a questionable position, I closed my eyes, held my breath and stuck my hand down the front of the pants. Yep, I really did it. I remember he was quite hairy and wearing designer undies - chic. Just in time I switched the microphones and ran back to my headset "Good job, we didn't think you were going to make it". Thanks.

As I reentered my very sweaty and shaky body, I realized that what had just happened will forever change my career and I would need to adjust my 'I would rather eat glue then do this' list. Most importanly though was that history was made and I survived what is now known as 'the day I stuck my hand down the Presidents pants'.

Event Planning truth #1: Taking one for the team has many many meanings.