Molly (age 13)

"What will become of my reputation?" asked Scarlet O'Hara as she danced with Rhett Butler.

"With enough courage," he replied, "one can do without a reputation."

About a year and a half ago, our family left our church after attending for five years. The people at our new church were kind and welcoming, but I still felt an empty spot. I sat in the corner thinking about how selfish people were not to come and talk to me, but I made no move to go to them myself. I thought if I said anything to anyone that I would say or do something dumb and would ruin my chances of getting a great friend. I would get a bad reputation. At the same time, I wanted a friend and I wanted one whom I could talk to. How hypocritical: I wanted to talk to someone but I didn't want to say anything and lose a potential friend. And so I went on in this state for a while. I was getting to know some people, but I still said very little for fear that I would act stupid. I told myself I was shy. I was. But it was more than that; I was being a coward and I was being self-centered. What could I do?

1) Courage: the ability to face difficulty without being overcome by fear
2) People who have shown courage
3) Times when I had to show courage
- Meeting new people
- Talking to people I already know

I have not yet overcome my barrier of shyness. I am in the midst of facing it, and bit by bit I feel it crumbling to pieces. My hope is that someday, my timidity will completely collapse. Someday I hope to have the courage of one girl I know who can be herself without worrying what others think of her. For that very reason, I respect her. I think perhaps that is why Rhett Butler said that you can live without a reputation if you have enough courage. I want to be like him, to be like my friend, with enough courage to talk to anyone without being afraid of other people's opinions.