A to Z Challenge 2018: F

Fear.

In my younger years, much younger, I was afraid of nothing.  Except giant ants, and that was only because I once trampled an anthill in my step father's eyesight and he, an excellent storyteller, assured me that giant ants would come get their retribution.

Other than that it was not until I got older that I started to develop a fear of doing things, speaking in front of people, social engagements, phone calls, going out in public, wearing bright colours.

As I started to get older than that I realized that most of my fears are deeply rooted in what people think of me.  The older I get the more I realize that people judge you a lot less than you think because they are mostly caught up in their own shit.  Or you might be scared they are think something of you when really they are think something totally different.

Have I become any less afraid of those things?  No.  But now I embrace the fear and take the plunge most days.  Some days I still hide out with my cats in my TARDIS onsie though because that's okay too.