Comfort zones, everyone has one. You know, that place that’s just warm and fuzzy and like home- the feeling is hard to beat. The problem that we all face, at one time or another in our lives, is that you will not always have the comfort of your comfort zone. At this very moment, my comfort zone is being threatened. For our week’s assignment, we were instructed to write a personal narrative. Something deep and heartfelt that makes you feel things when you’re writing it. One of the only problems with this is that I do not take pleasure in putting my feelings into words. This sounds unconventional for someone who is attending MSA for literary, a discipline for which literally everything you feel is going to be put down into words for others to critique. I think that’s my problem- the fact that someone will have to read what I wrote, and then my story will, in part, be theirs for just a moment. The thought of my thoughts inside someone else’s head all jumbled up and distorted is the kicker. What if they interpret it wrong and then won’t make eye contact with me for the rest of the year? What if the teacher thinks I’m insane and gets me sent to a nut house? As I’m writing this, I’m thinking of how many people will have to read it, even if only for a grade in class. They will have my words in their head and there’s no way I can get them back. Comfort Zones: places our discipline teacher does not like us to stay cooped up in, no matter how warm and cozy. I can understand the concept of wanting us to speak in our very own voice that maybe the outside world doesn’t ever get to hear, but at what cost? Is this narrative grade worth the panic attack that it’s definitely going to give me? Most likely not, but I can already feel the shakes calling my name. To anyone else, the prospect of putting their innermost thoughts on a flash drive might not be so terrifying. Heck, it might even be liberating to have someone know what you’re thinking and feeling. To speak for myself though, I have to disagree. I take great pleasure in having my thoughts stay in my head, where they were created. To reiterate what I’ve already stated- take great care not to get too comfy in your comfort zones. Eventually you will be forced to stand up and stretch, doing things you might not have known you had to do and going places you might not want to go. So my advice to myself, and everyone else, is to enjoy your comfort zone while you can, because you never know when you’re going to wake up and have it disappear for a while.
I like that you were very raw with this, admitting that you don’t like sharing personal things about yourself, like in the personal narrative assignment. I think it was very brave of you to do that kind of contradictory work, in that you showed something personal about yourself, while saying you don’t like to do so. I also think it was cool that you shared an opinion of yours that normally isn’t voiced in the literaries. I like the questions you asked yourself midway, letting the readers (us) into your thoughts on the subject. Awesome:)
I like how personal and honest you were with the topic. It’s always great to use your own experiences to relate to something! I too feel as if what I say/ do can be interpreted in a way it was not meant to be.
I enjoyed this blog; you argued your point without completely being biased towards stepping out of your comfort zones just because you like staying in yours. You accepted the fact that you needed to work on being more outspoken and vulnerable, and I can appreciate that. It is often hard to even write about how uncomfortable the fact you don’t like sharing is, but you still did it. This post within itself is you stepping outside of your comfort zone. I feel that it is entirely worth the “before” anxiety of being vulnerable, especially when the outcome of you being more outgoing result in you opening doors for yourself and moving ahead from your past. Great post!
I really liked how you allowed the vulnerability you have when sharing personal information to show through in how you feel about comfort zones. Using that little bit of truth really brings comfort zones into a new light that can show others parts of yourself that you may not even realize you’re sharing. I also enjoyed how vocal you were about your disdain for having to write so personally because it means breaching the walls of your comfort zone. I found it very insightful and really enjoyed it.
I absolutely agree with you on the fear of putting your thoughts out into the world, Considering the only person who really knows you well enough is yourself. I too struggle with the realization that my work and my opinions and ideas will be in someone else hands, that if they chose to they could misinterpret every single word I wrote and start to think of me in a different light.