On Monday, I attended the meeting for Circle K, the club I signed up for. As always, I was nervous at the prospect of meeting new people, but I also knew that it just had to be done. The fact that I went with a friend really, really helped.

The meeting started off with something called an “ice breaker”. It was sort of like a game to get to know the other members of the club, and it really did “break the ice” of awkwardness.

Now, I’m generally terrified of the games where you have to say something about yourself. Actually, anything that requires public speaking, even for just a few seconds, makes my heart pound. I’m slowly getting better at my physical reaction to such things, but the nerves are always there, a shaky feeling under my calm and cheerful exterior.

This ice breaker was interesting, to say the least. Everyone formed a circle while one person stood in the center. The person in the center would say, “My name is ___, and the wind blows if _____” and then fill in the second blank with something that pertains to them, such as a hobby or a favorite food. The people that shared this interest with the person would quickly have to move from their spot in the circle and find another one before they were caught in the middle, sort of like in musical chairs. Then they’d be stuck speaking.

I was cheating. When people moved, I’d just step to the side, successfully changing my spot without the probability of being trapped in the center. Even when the person in the middle said something that we had in common, I’d lie and stay still as though I disagreed.

That didn’t work for long. The club’s leader knew there were people that hadn’t spoken yet.

My friend, because she’s evil, pointed me out from the corner I was hiding in.

Then, I just thought, “Screw it. Let me get this over with.”

So, I skipped on over to the center of the circle, hands shoved in the pockets of my leather jacket, and said, “Hi, my name is Nimra, and the wind blows if you like to read.”

There.

Done.

That was it.

I retreated back into the circle, and everything was fine.

Clearly, my thoughts before such events can be quite dramatic. I really do tend to imagine the worst, and 99% of the time, what I expect to happen never does. You’d think I’d know better by now, honestly.

Once the ice breaker was over, the meeting continued. I met some really nice people, ones that I’m looking forward to seeing again.

But there was one thing from the meeting that really stuck with me.

The club’s president, Kelly, asked the members why they decided to join Circle K. A few people opened up, and what really surprised me was that there were people just like me.

There were others in the club that were shy and introverted in high school, and decided to be more active in college. Kids that didn’t want to waste these undergrad years, but make them memorable instead. Peers that wanted to give something back to the world at the same time as stepping out of their comfort zone. In fact, the club’s president herself admitted to being a recluse in high school, so painfully shy that her teachers called her out on it. Now, with a high energy that was pretty contagious, she was speaking to a room full of people.

The realization that I’m not alone in my goal has shifted the way I see it. Now, it feels easier to accomplish, and I feel like the small steps that I’ve taken so far can lead to something so much greater.