The first public repair report

The engineer asked me to explain my inspection findings at the morning meeting. I knew what I had recorded, but most people around the table had worked there for years. I feared they would hear a question I could not answer and decide that the inspection itself was worthless. Before we began, the engineer told me to distinguish observations from conclusions and to say when something needed checking. I had been preparing to defend every sentence. Now I could imagine presenting the useful evidence without pretending that it settled everything. I still wanted to do well, but I no longer thought that required knowing all the answers.

In your own words, explain the writer's thoughts and feelings before presenting the inspection findings.