So I overcame two instances of fear the other day.

First, at a career fair, there was a table from Exxon giving away plush tiger tails that you hang from your car. I felt nervous as I walked up to the table trying to steal one. But then I figured that it would look bad to just take one, so I wound up talking to one of the employee speakers for five minutes, pretending to be interested in working for Exxon. I lied and said I was thinking about majoring in computer science. And I went through with it until the speaker gave me my prize—the plush tiger tail.

Also, I found out a friend on my Livejournal Friends List was going to be at the expo. I’d never met the guy before, and thought it would be neat to see him face-to-face offline. When I found him at his work table, I admit, I walked by three times circling the fair because I couldn’t muster the courage to go and ask if it was the friend from my journal. I even left the fair and went outside, thinking that I can’t go talk to him. What if he pretended not to know me? What if I got the wrong guy? What if I come across as creepy by giving out his username?

But I went back inside, went to the table and asked him if he was (username @livejournal). He did look a little shocked, but then I introduced myself by username and real name. And I’m glad I went up to speak to him. He turned out to be a very nice guy. I also overcame one form of my fears—my shyness.