A Push

     I feel alone. My eyes scan the entire room and all I see are a bunch of strangers to me. I crack a smile, desperately trying to evoke a sense of confidence. But really on the inside my heart is pounding 20 miles a minute as I try to take in everything.

    Ever since I can remember, I've always been a shy person. I can clearly remember the moments in elementary where I would sit as silent as a mouse with a group of kids. With my close friends, I could be myself but with people that I didn't know, I crawled back into my shell.  It seemed as if there was a piece of duct tape over my mouth preventing me from communicating with people I didn't know. There was nothing for me to say to someone I didn't know and the fear of meeting someone mean held me back.

    I stand in a room full of people 30 + years older than me. As my mom shoves me towards a stranger, she whispers, " You'll thank me for this later." I am forced to get out of my comfort zone. I am forced to do something I don't want to do. After the initial butterflies, I realized that it wasn't as bad as I expected. Now I feel like there is nothing limiting me anymore. My mom has also been a strong believer in that everyone just needs a little push to overcome a fear. I think she's right.

Jennifer Wang

Writer

Bellaire High School TPP