Talking the Talk

Word Count: 225

If anybody has met either me or my brother they will know that we are both very outgoing people and not afraid to speak up. While that does not seem like it is uncommon, when looking at our cousins who are all shy it is quite interesting. But it did not happen by accident.

When I was growing up there was one major thing that caused my outgoing nature. Whenever I wanted to know something I had to be the one to ask it. It did not matter if I was five, my dad would not be the one to speak up and ask somebody a question for me.

If I wanted to sell something for a school Christmas drive, I had to be the one to call up and ask people to buy stuff, neither he nor my mother would call up for us. If I wanted a refill on soda at a restaurant, I had to get the waitresses attention and ask her.

While I never quite understood why my dad had to put me in an awkward situation of interacting with strangers when I was little I realize now how beneficial it was and why he did it and I’m thankful for it because I now have very good social skills, unlike my cousins or many other people I know my age.

Point of Story: The only way to become a social person is to be a social person. Waiting for somebody else to strike up a conversation is not the way to be a social person you have to be willing to put up with the early awkward situation to become impervious to it later.