Crowds Cause Me to Cower

Marandah Mangra-Dutcher, Staff Writer

I like to go to concerts, pools and amusement parks like Adventureland. However, it takes a while for me to talk myself into it. One factor could be the price, as all of the above can be pretty expensive, but I think the major reason is the crowds of people that are typically there.

I do not do well in crowds. I can never focus and enjoy myself as much. The volume of voices, the people who tower around me and  the body heat created by everyone there always leave me feeling light-headed and nauseous.

Social situations and crowded places have never been the spot for my family and me. We are all extremely introverted and like to keep to ourselves. At weddings of distant relatives, we kind of hang out in the corner. We do go to a lot of concerts but we always are exhausted and extremely uncomfortable during and after. I have only been to Adventureland a few times because it makes us all somewhat anxious being there.

I do think everyone in my family may have a trace of anxiety when it comes to crowds, but we have never been professionally tested and we do not plan to. We know our limits and keep them in mind when we make decisions.

This somewhat fear of crowds has yet to dictate a lot of what I do. I have been hesitant to go to some parties, but the majority of the time I decide to go. However, in the future I fear it will. I do not want to miss out on an amazing opportunity due to this partial irrational fear.

In the upcoming years of high school, I hope to get over this partial fear. I want to be able to be one of those people who can be comfortable in any social setting, and can handle people better.  It is one of the items on my bucket list, you could say. I have yet to figure out how I will improve my social skills, and capability to deal with people, but I intend to figure it out.