Mujidat Yusuf

English 111

Fall 2014

09/25/2014

An awkward social event

I had forgotten this incident completely until I had to go a party alone again. I knew how awkward I feel whenever I had to go to parties alone, it just feels like hell. Am socially awkward and worry about what people think about me, most times I feel I’m not normal or too fat. This makes me keep mute in social events and find it difficult to interact with others out of fear of being ridiculed. I had always been an introvert all of my life. I loved keeping to my self and didn’t really attend social events. Even my parents complain I stay indoor too much. A friend I just met named Dammy invited me to her birthday dinner and I decided to go because I wanted to make friends and also to make my friendship with Dammy blossom. I knew how awkward I feel at events and decided to invite my cousin Nicky to go with me so we could chat together during the party. I told Nicky about the party but she said she wouldn’t be able to go with me because she had a party to go too. I was disappointed and begged her to please go with me but she explained that it was her boyfriend that invited her to the party and she couldn’t turn him down. I didn’t have any choice than to go the party by my self The party was to start by 6pm,I started dressing up at 4:00pm because its takes an hour plus to get to the venue of the birthday dinner (Charlie brown’s stake house) from my house (vanduzer street). I thought of what to wear and decided to wear something simple. I opted for a black sleeveless romper and a three (3) inch red shoe. I packed my hair in a ponytail and applied light make up. I didn’t want to be all dressed up. I finished dressing up at 5:00pm and left the house immediately because I was running late. I had to wait for ten minutes at the bus stop before it came. I took the first bus s74 by 5:10 pm and got to bay street at about 5:30pm.i had to wait for s46 for about 5mins.it was now 5:45 and the party is to start by 6o’clock. Its takes a whopping forty-five minutes to get to the venue. I’m going to be late I got to the venue of the event at about 6:30pm,they were all seated already. My heart was pounding and I just said hi. The celebrant dammy came up, gave me a hug and thanked me for coming. I went on to have a seat, all her friends seated were all looking at me and I hoped the ground would just open and swallow me. I was so shy and felt maybe I was not looking good enough or that they didn’t like me. They were all chattering and talking with each other and I felt out because it was my first time seeing all of them. I didn’t know what to say neither did I know what they were talking about. I just kept mute. I didn’t want to talk because I felt my accent was different and I didn’t want to have slips of tongue. They all asked me why I was quiet and I just said nothing, in my mind I was like I’m the shyest person in the world. I just sat there and got myself busy with my phone.it was time to eat to eat and they all ordered what to eat. I didn’t know what to eat and couldn’t imagine eating in front of this large crowd. The menu was brought and I went for fried shrimps with water. I couldn’t eat well and just a little out of it. I just felt out of place and decided to leave. I called the celebrant and told her that I was leaving; she was like the party isn’t over yet. I gave her an excuse and left the party.it was so boring and its all my fault.it would have been better if Nicky came with me, I would at least have someone to chat and talk with. Then another friend I met in college named yarmille invited me to a barbeque party. Again I invited my cousin Nicky and she gave me excuses. I knew I couldn’t go alone to a party because of my social awkwardness and shyness, I also remembered my experience at dammy’s birthday dinner and didn’t want same to happen. But I really wanted to go the party, I wanted to make new friends and be more outspoken. I wanted to be free with others, I really wanted to change but how do I go about it. I woke up one morning and said to myself that I need to learn how to interact with others and be more outspoken. I went online and read articles on how to overcome shyness and social anxiety. I read a lot of them everyday and really learnt a great deal of things. I was encouraged to increase my confidence and also calm my nerves in social situations. I also learnt that I had to focus on the positives rather than the negatives. Furthermore, I had to be friendlier and free around people, I should always put on a smiling face. I read a lot of inspirations everyday and turned the things I learnt to a daily routine. I made more friends and did a lot of talking. I stopped paying attention to my body, color and accent and trust me I became a better person. It was a Saturday night and the day of the barbeque party yarmille invited me to. I went there all lightened up in red short dress. I got there and yarmille welcomed me, she said I looked gorgeous; I was delighted at the compliment. She introduced me to her friends named diandra, tashelle and Abby. I introduced myself to them with confidence and didn’t feel awkward this time. The articles I read have really helped me. I couldn’t believe I could start a conversation with them. I asked them what school they attend and also their majors. We talked about school, classes and professors. We also talked about our boyfriends. I got home that night happy and funfilled, I’m a better person now, thanks to the Internet I made great conversations today and I also made new friends. We exchanged numbers and I couldn’t be happier. This wasn’t a boring one