Never underestimate the power of storytelling.

Three-star review

As you might already know, I occasionally go up on stage to entertain an audience.

And it so happened again last night.
“The going up on stage” happened again, you mean. Not the “entertaining the audience” part, right?
It... wasn't a disaster. Nobody died, some members of the audience politely stated to come back.... You get the mood in the room.

Before, during, and after the show, I had this low-energy disappointment in my belly. And that sure doesn't help to surprise others – or yourself – by having a lever turned and starting an ascend to glory.

"Today's a good day to be funny or die trying." [Gowron, maybe]

And instead it was a waste of time. And reputation, let's be frank about that. It is going to hurt for longer than just that evening.
Come on, George, it always hurts longer than just the evening.

Ok, you got it. Bad show, me down, having not even ENTERED the coping process of shooting around some blame. All that big fuzzy blame was mine – and George's obvisouly – to feast on. Until...
What do you mean by until? I'm still feasting over here!

Until I asked some audience members I trust. I asked for their opinions. And was positively surprised.
They lied to you. Come on, they're your friends.

Exactly, they're my friends. That's why they didn't lie. They would crush any delusion with honesty and then cheer me up. But they didn't.
They talked about the good bits, the little things, the one feature that actually mattered: They had a good time.
Slap taken, they had “still” a good time. We've all had those dinners where the pizza wasn't an epiphany but wasn't truly “meh”, either.

Reviews offer more than just two possible ratings because there is quite some additional in-between on a scale from divine to food poisoning.

Fine fine, but nobody goes to the mediocre restaurant a second time. Not if there are alternatives.
Unless...
Unless?

Unless you might know the chef. And maybe you believe in the chef. And you believe in good company making up for things, in feedback, in bad days... and you voice all this and help the chef to believe in themself. Then there might be a good chance for a next surprise dinner.


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