So yesterday we had high school students from all over the county visiting the newsroom as part of journalism workshop.
The Teen Takeover editors usually do a short presentation during this annual workshop to let students know about the staff and what we do and all that jazz.
Since Katy and Jen were off, I had to fly solo for the presentation, and let me tell you, I was terrified.
You could see my heart pounding through my shirt. My palms were as wet as a sea sponge. I developed a stutter.
In short, it was like high school all over again.
Like I was standing in front of my English class explaining the significance of the green light in "The Great Gatsby," more worried that I'd selected an unflattering pair of pants then about what the teacher thought.
I mean, what should I care what these punk kids thought of me? I'm 25, have a cool job, drive a cute car, I love Will Ferrell movies and The Cold War Kids. In any other situation I'd feel pretty damn cool.
Except in a situation when 40-some high school students are staring blankly at me. Judging my outfit, my hair, my stutter and my corny since of humor.
Or maybe it was all in my head. Just like in high school I assumed everybody would notice and care how or looked or what I said, but really they were all wrapped up in their own worlds, thinking about their own issues.
It's funny how you get older, but nothing really changes too much. Maybe I'm a little wiser ... But I'm still terrified of teenagers.
Ha! It reminds me of lyrics from a MCR song: "Teenagers scare the living sh** out of me."