He walked down the vociferous street. As he strolled by he could feel the world's eyes on him; it cradled and suffocated him in a fleece of shame and horror. Midway through his walk, he remembered what his therapist had told him.
"Hold your head high, don't be afraid of who you are. Show them you don't care what they think. Keep pushing." Cautiously he began to lift his head up, but once he faced the world's eyes with his own his heart jumped. He was now face to face with the world's perception of him.
He told himself, "Hold your head high, do not be afraid, keep pushing." After calming himself he began to stride confidently down the streets. With a new bounce in his step severely lacking earlier that same day. If you were to look at their two silhouettes side by side you would expect them to be unrelated. Despite his confident facade the negative thoughts still lingered in his subconscious.
The day was now at an end, the coffee shop was soon to be closing. Only one person remained in the shop. The woman was tall, light blonde hair and wearing a very floral dress. She was a new customer one he had never seen. She ordered a chai tea, one of the shop's specialties. Swiftly he made her tea and handed it to her. She paid in cash and made her way to the door but quickly stopped in her steps. The words to come out of her mouth played in slow motion. The words she said shook him down to his core. The words pierced his heart like a sharp sword and broke him like a porcelain doll that fell to a concrete floor.
"Thank you, ma'am."
