introvert problems

Introvert Problem #42

When you're so shy and introverted that it effects your academic accomplishments.

For example (personal story)

Back when I was in 4th grade, we had a class spelling bee. I won, but didn't think much of it. It's just a class spelling bee, it doesn't go any further than that, right?

WRONG

Shortly after, my friend told me that since I had won, I would be going onto a schoolwide competition and compete on a stage with other 4th and 5th graders IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE SCHOOL.

Well, I wasn't having that. I quickly went up to my teacher and told her that I did not want to compete in front of the school. Reluctantly, she let the runner up take my place.

But the story doesn't end here. No, I made the mistake of telling my mom how I won but declined the position. She wasn't happy and at all and she made me promise that if I won again I would have to go on the stage and compete.

5th grade rolls around, and I win the class spelling bee a second time. Unfortunately, this time, I had to accept my fate.

In the weeks leading up to the schoolwide spelling bee, I was a nervous wreck. I decided there was only one option-- I had to get eliminated as soon as possible.

So what did I do? I strategized. I studied commonly misspelled words, thinking about how I could pull off a mistake without it seeming too suspicious.

Finally, the day of the school spelling bee rolled around. Even though I was sure I could find a way to get eliminated pretty fast, I was still SO SCARED.

Before I knew it, I was on a stage with about 15 contestants while the rest of the school was watching. Oh my gosh, I had never been more terrified.

Now, before we actually started the real competition, we had to do these practice words, which were like "jam" and "cat" and easy stuff.

When it was my turn to do the practice word, I went down to the microphone, nervously spelled it, and do you know what the administrator lady said?

"Contestant 11, speak up next time."

Figures.

Anyway, the actual contest started. I was literally about to burst into tears and beg for mercy, when all of the sudden it was my turn. I went up to the microphone, and the lady told me my word.

Guess what it was?

Dandelion.

Oh my gosh! I had never been so happy! It took all of my energy not to start grinning. Why was I so happy?

Because dandelion is one of the most commonly misspelled words ever.

See, most people pronounce that word as "dandAlion" instead of "dandElion", so I could really easily pretend that was the way I thought it was spelled!

So, I spelled it with the A instead of the E, and sure enough, I got it wrong. I was disqualified, and that's pretty much the end of that. No one suspected a thing.

Looking back on that, I don't regret my decision at all. I'm not trying to be cocky, but the hardest word there was "university" and I think that my fifth grade self probably would have been able to spell that. Then, if I had won, I would have had to go on to a county or state competition, and that would have been even worse. (Once again, I'm not trying to be full of myself.)

But that's the story of how my social anxiety stopped my academic accomplishments! *sarcastic thumbs up*

If you enjoyed please don't forget to vote and leave a comment telling me if anything like this has ever happened to you

Byeeee