What You Should Know

Author's Note:  I thought of this piece while taking a shower.  It's where I do all of my best thinking, if this matters to you.  I was feeling especially down on myself when I started to compare myself to others in my school.  I quickly scolded myself for doing such a thing.  I know I should never compare myself to anybody, but sometimes it's hard when feel so different from everybody else.  I have anxiety, but I don't show it that much.  I thought this letter might be a good way to blow of some steam and show who I am, somewhat.  In this piece I also tried to demonstrate my use of comas and semicolons to enhance my knowledge of them, and how they fit into sentences. 

Dear Outgoing People,

I see you laugh; I see you do quirky things to get the attention of your peers.  You are outgoing and you are not afraid of what people think.  I watch you with envy, because I cannot do this.  You call me quiet, but how can you do that when you have never seen me loud?  You cannot throw comparison words at me when you have nothing to compare them to.  Maybe this little letter will give you some insight, or maybe you just don’t care.
I’m a pretty optimistic person, but  I would much rather blend into the backdrop than to stand out.  I have what you might call social anxiety, or if you feel like being a little harsh about it, you could call me socially awkward.  You say i’m quiet, but sometimes I can’t help it.  Are you still not getting it?  Let me explain further, in most classes I know the answer to a question 90% of the time but I will only raise my hand 25% of the time because I am terrified of getting the answer wrong and having it pointed out.  Teachers make my social anxiety worse without knowing it.  The sympathetic looks and the pathetic responses of “I’m sorry no” or “Close but not quite” slowly melt away my confidence.  I would love to present my writing or poetry, but the fear of judgement gets in the way.  I have no fear of public speaking, just the fear of what people will think of me after I stop speaking.  Interacting with people outside of my friends is a day to day challenge.  I don’t think you realize how much it hurts to be called quiet or shy.  I sign up for drama solely to be on tech crew.  The drama teachers don’t understand why there aren’t many people on tech crew in the class.  It’s because all of us shy people are still subjected to performing skits and monologues when these things are the least of our interests.  So now you’ve seen what it’s like for somebody who is “shy” or “quiet”.  Basically I’ve just given you a mini tour of my mind.  
My biggest question is, what will you do with this newfound information?  Will you look at me and see me for the person I really am or will you still slap labels like “shy girl” and “quiet girl” on me?  Will this information go in one ear and out the other or will it sink in and give you a new perspective on people like me?

Sincerely,
Just another socially awkward girl