facing my fear
...t it’s been with me for years. Besides, sometimes I’d just rather deal with monsters under my bed than take on real life. For instance, I was a horribly shy kid, with no social skills or grace. More than anything, I longed to be noticed as the popular, outgoing girl I knew I was, instead of the awkward nerd everyone saw. But being noticed was also my worst fear because my shyness usually led to yet another social disaster. After the long and painful process of emerging from my shell, I cherished my individuality. But how far can I push this self-expression? What if no one likes the real me? When I was little, I had this terrible, recurring dream that the devil was chasing me off a cliff into a raging river. And I couldn’t swim. But my hero, Superman, would always fly in and rescue me just in time. Now, in my late teens, I’m vaguely uneasy about what awaits me in old age. I know that many older people do just fine. But w...