Essay About Symptoms Factor And State Of Fear

Dropping the Ball
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Fear, for most, is a heavy emotion. In a state of fear, one can experience heightened
senses, deep breathing, profuse sweating and an accelerated heart rate. The fear Id like to refer
to isnt the kind of fear you experience when a snarling pit bull crosses your path during a brisk
walk or the feeling you get when you look down from a high point, such as a cliff or bridge. Im
referring to the fear that, Im sure, most adolescent boys experience when they attempt to interact
with the opposite sex. More specifically, when attempting to ask a girl to a dance or to other
social events. Nonetheless, all those symptoms factor into this kind of fear; something Im all too
familiar with.
The fear started to build up the month of my high schools winter formal. This event
came around every year in January. The event is similar to prom, only the importance is not all
that significant, yet it still represented a big part of school spirit. It gave us boys and girls the
opportunity to mingle without much parent observation. Around this time I had my sights set on
a particular girl I had been eyeing the whole semester. Her name was Sophia. This petite, brown-
eyed betty had it all. She was intelligent, witty and, of course, very pretty. I first met Sophia in
my biology class. We had assigned seating and she happened to be seated right next to me.
For the most part, we got along. Aside from the normal class activities and lab
assignments, we didnt have much conversation. Although, I think most of that was my fault. For
all the clever remarks she would make in reference to our dull lab work, or the attire of our
teacher, I had simple and boring nods or gestures. I was a relatively quiet individual at that time
of my life. Overall, I was a shy and nerdy kid, especially with the girls. So it seemed for the
moment that our personalities clashed. Even though Sophia and I interacted often, I still couldnt
bring myself, to be myself. I felt she was too pretty to be associated with me.
So as the year progressed, I felt my affinity for Sophia grow and grow. With that also
a swell of fear of doing or saying anything that would make me look as if I was trying too much
to impress her. My past attempts to get close to girl always seemed to backfire. For example, I
once tried to dance with a girl on a Teen Night dance floor and I got one of those talk to the
hand gestures. Quite embarrassing, I must say. That moment not only strengthened my fear of
girls, but my confidence also took altogether. That explains the root of my caution and reserve in
my daily dealings with Sophia, or with most other females for that matter.
So the countdown began. The winter formal was exactly two weeks away. I was
becoming more and more nervous with each passing opportunity in which I could have