This week, as in all the others, I asked my friends what makes them nervous in conversation. Here’s a list:
- Job applications – specifically how it feels unclear what they’re looking for, nervous about whether they’re submitting something that will get them the job
- “People overhearing my conversations” –
- “When I’m expected to talk about things that I don’t know enough about”
- “People making eye contact with me when I don’t know them”
- Needles and sharp things generally
The one I’d like to talk about is yellow lights at an intersection. It’s such a strange feeling when you’re driving at the speed limit and the light ahead turns yellow – I’m always unsure whether I should speed up and cross the yellow, or if I should slam on the brakes, because sometimes I’m at that strange in-between point where it’s too close to the yellow to brake but too far to cross. The yellow colored signal often makes my heart race. The other thing that makes me nervous is that I don’t know how long the signal will stay yellow – some yellow lights last longer than others. The lack of information on my end also makes me nervous.