I guess I was a touch shy as a child, but I was also a bit goofy.
Little me, at pre-kindergarten graduation with my diploma on my nose.
At a young age (maybe 6 or 7) I remember goofing around with friends, laughing and making silly noises.
I also clearly remember doing something similar around a neighbor who was the same age as me. She looked at me funny, and said, “why are you doing that?”
There wasn’t a reason, just to have fun! But that was probably the first time, at least that I can remember, of being self-conscious.
As I moved from childhood into adolescence, the goofiness waned. I became more self-conscious. I was cautious when expressing opinions; careful to go along with the crowd.
I wore (usually ugly) glasses from when I was in fifth grade until I was finally allowed to get contacts at 16. I had braces for two years; those were taken off prior to the start of my sophomore year of high school.
Even though I was no longer in that “awkward” stage for most of high school, I still felt like I was. All the people at school knew the old me, most of them treated me like I was still her.
Going away to college was the best thing for me. I got a fresh start, made new friends, and began to interact and open up more freely. It’s also where I met my husband.
On the drive home from my freshman year, my father told me that college turned me weird.
It didn’t.
Contrary to popular belief, my husband didn’t turn me weird, either.
He just helped me recover my lost goofiness!
