Tags
anxiety, awkward, exhausted, growth, life, mental health, out of place, safe, writing
Tell us about a time when you felt out of place?
How about every time I go out in public, especially to new places.
It’s not always obvious to the people around me, but I feel it deep down. That little twitch in my stomach, the way my brain keeps running through every possible way I might say or do the wrong thing. The way I get hyper-aware of how I walk, how I look, what I say. It’s exhausting sometimes, carrying around that constant sense of being “other.”
I wish I could just slide into a room like I belong there without second-guessing myself. I wish new places didn’t feel like such an obstacle course. But maybe part of life is learning that even when you feel out of place, you still show up. You still try. You still find little moments of connection that remind you you’re not as awkward as you think you are.
Do I still feel out of place most of the time? Absolutely. But I have found the people and places where I feel safe to be myself. That, I think, is what matters most.
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