On Scary Things

Sometimes I don't understand why I get scared of some things.

One time, I was on a run in a park and I nearly got run over by a deer. If you have never been charged at by a buck, I do not recommend it. It is terrifying. It also helps you with sprinting practice.

This is a logical thing to be afraid of. I have nothing against deer now, but if one is running RIGHT AT YOU, it's terrifying.

Somehow, writing things can also be super terrifying. I don't know why. My professor is there to grade me in order to help my writing improve. Critiques will help; even if my grade suffers, my writing will improve.

I don't have any research for this, but in my limited experience, running on trails results in more injury than getting a writing critique. Professors should not be threatening.

So what's the difference? I like my professor. She has decades of valuable experience to impart. What's the big deal?

The big deal, I think, is that writing critiques are more personal than a deer. I'm probably never going to see that deer again. It was three years ago; according to the internet's estimate of the average lifespan of a white-tailed deer, the adult animal that nearly ran me over has probably died already of natural causes. A professor is someone you have to interact with at least once a week. There's a greater chance that you would interact with the exact same professor multiple times a semester than you will interact with the exact same deer that nearly ran over you.