Recently, I found myself in a predicament that could have been avoided had I not been so cordial and accommodating from the start. I like to think I have a knack for reading people; I can usually pick up on those negative vibes and get a feel for someone's true character. However, when I meet genuinely friendly people, I choose to ignore my instincts and dismiss the uneasy feelings I sense. I would then convince myself that maybe it was just my insecurities or a tendency to be overly critical. Too often, I was guilty of letting my guard down and over extending their welcome.
This experience has taught me the hard lessons of never ignoring that gut feeling, which acts as my silent alarm for identifying potential danger or the mentally insane. What's even more challenging is when I'm in a state of confusion, making it nearly impossible to separate the chaos in my mind from reality. Looking back, I wish I hadn't dismissed what I was feeling and avoided overreacting to my insecurities, but we live and we learn (well, at least we should).
Hi, I'm Lola, a 26-year-old recent college graduate with a master's degree in psychology and behavioral studies. My life is going reasonably well, though not as well as it could be. I won't complain, but there's always room for improvement. I work part-time at the community center as a mental health counselor, helping people out three to four days a week.
Once a week, I offer free services to those who really need it but can't afford the fees, which feels very rewarding. Right now, my car is on the fritz and needs some serious TLC. Instead of stressing about it, I decided to get a monthly bus pass to keep things moving―literally! It's been a decent way to get to work and explore other places when the mood strikes. Life has its ups and downs, but I'm making it work for me!
Sometimes, on my days off, I ride over to the coffee café, where I indulge in a cup of my favorite coffee and pastry or freshly baked bread. Today, I'm off work at the community center, so I decided to make my way over to the café with my laptop to search for job opportunities and mingle among the people. Yeah, I could search for job opportunities in the privacy and comfort of my apartment if I didn't mind being bored or feeling like the walls were closing in on me. However, I enjoy meeting new people and having interesting conversations (which is why I found myself in an unusual situation).
Today, I observed that the café is very crowded; tempers are heightened, and customers are becoming increasingly impatient―as every table and booth is occupied, and even the stools at the counter were taken. I successfully secured a small table after noticing a couple stand up, getting ready to exit the café. I sprinted across the floor and promptly approached the table before anyone else could claim it. I immediately sat down then waved for a waitress to come take my order.