I didn’t make my decision until the last minute. In fact, I didn’t even mention it to anyone until I announced I was going.

Last month, I auditioned for a part in the play “Lost in Yonkers” at the Hanover Little Theatre. I told my wife about 20 minutes before auditions started because I didn’t want to have time to change my mind.

Actually, the thought had bounced around in my head for a while. When I played a small part in the “Miracle on 34^th Street” production at Hanover High School last year, I wondered if I wanted to give the acting thing a try.

A few people told me that I had done a good job in that show, and some even encouraged me to get on stage again. I actually believed them.

I knew exactly when the “Lost in Yonkers” auditions would take place, but I put the idea in the back of my head. I wanted to think about it.

The way I saw it, if I talked about things too early, I would force one of a few situations. Either I would chicken out and regret not taking a chance or I would force myself to go even though the idea didn’t appeal to me as much as it once did.

So I managed to keep my mouth shut for a change. The day grew closer, and I started to think about whether I really wanted to do it.

Because I grew up with seven siblings who also serve as historians for every goofy thing I have done, I have edged toward the shy side of the scale much of my life around people I don’t know.

I have tried to change that over the past few years. I have tried to embrace my inner goof and not worry about that trial period where I try and judge whether I want people to see me that way.

This embarrasses my daughter to no end, of course, but that’s a different nut for some therapist to crack down the line.

I just didn’t know if I wanted to take this new philosophy onto the stage again. I liked being small part of a big ensemble, but didn’t know if I could handle all that this play would entail.

Then something good happened the morning of auditions totally unrelated to this decision and put a spring in my step. I drove home that day with a smile on my face and pretty much no fear.

That’s how I ended up going to the audition. And I somehow got a part. I had to look at the e-mail with that news twice to make sure I read it correctly on the first go-around.

So now I am learning my lines and figuring out just when I need to stand up, where I need to walk and fretting about whether I will remember all the little quirks I need for my character.

Remember, this is the guy who drove four blocks with his coffee mug on top of the car a few weeks ago. This could get interesting.