Scraping Up Courage

I am not a shy person.
I have no problem bumping into a stranger at the grocery store line and telling them my entire life story. Ask me to do a crazy dance in the middle of the sidewalk in the city and I won't hesitate to bust a move (or a hip too probably). But when it comes to gathering up the strength to go ask someone for an interview, my stomach starts to feel like a big knot and my head begins to hurt with over-thinking.

Store signs fly by as I walk down the street and as I peek inside the windows to see if anyone is there, I decide that "I'll try the next one," for whatever reason.

People walk past me and I draw a breath to introduce myself, but it comes out instead as a sigh.
Finally, I'll muster up the courage to smile and say "Hi, my name is Kelsey and I'm an NYU journalism student. Could I ask you a few questions about such-and-such-thing?" only to be told with a glare "No" in some form. Self-esteem crushed, I usually can't manage to break out of my slump and end up going home.

But just as my dreams of winning a Pulitzer seem to be fading from my eyes, I'll have a day where I find someone who looks easy-going enough to ask for an interview about something, and that person turns out to be the nicest, funniest, cleverest, bestest (...) person ever! Quote after golden quote will flow from their lips and I will laugh politely, mostly at my own strange luck.
Those are the days that make me believe that I can do this - I can be as natural on the job as I am in reality! This is easy and fun! Look at what a great story I have! Wow, there's so much color and great human connectivity here!

That is, until this high causes me to approach the very next person I meet and excitedly ask to talk to them and would it be all right if I conducted a quick interview and oh, I'm Kelsey by the way and... oh. Yes, I understand. I'm sorry. Have a nice day.

Back to the drawing board again.