The sound of my heels dragging along the marble floor was deafening. Heads turned like a row of dominoes as I walked down the aisle. Everywhere I went, there was a pair of eyes following me. My hands were both cold and sweaty, and the loose strands of hair in front of my face were clouding my vision. As I climbed onto the stage, I prayed that I wouldn’t do something embarrassing. I felt so small and vulnerable looking into the crowd of unimpressed faces.

Every day, I feel like I’m being judged. Whether it be my peers, parents, or teachers, there’s always someone watching. This realization has led me to focus on how I present myself to other people. I learned that a person’s reputation is built on how other people perceive them. A reputation can even affect inanimate objects, such as the Mojave Phone Booth. This phone booth in the middle of a desert became a worldwide phenomenon all because of one man. Godfrey Daniels had taken interest in this phone booth and created a web page for it. It gained a lot of popularity and the Mojave Phone Booth became “a place for anonymous interaction and unexpected conversations” (Rosenberg). The growth of the Mojave Phone Booth from a random object in the desert to an “internet chat room” was possible because of the people who spread the word about it. Similarly, a person’s reputation can change in an instant, depending on how other people view them.

Reputation is a dangerous concept. It can be spun out of control and have dire consequences. This is shown in the case of Ahmaud Arbery, an African American man who was murdered by two white men. Black people have always had a ‘reputation’ of being gangsters and criminals. Because of this stereotype, they have had to face prejudice and live in fear of being attacked. This is evident in Arbery’s murder, which was racially motivated. Arbery was shot simply because he had the same skin color as other criminals who were black. This goes to show how a bad reputation can affect an entire group of people.

Though I believe it’s important to maintain a good image, I find myself getting carried away with what other people think of me. I have always been a perfectionist and a “people-pleaser”. My fear of being judged has taken a toll on my social life. It’s difficult for me to approach new people and make friends, so I mostly stay in my own little bubble. I tried to deal with this problem by changing my way of thinking. I was inspired by a quote from Shakespeare’s Othello: “You have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser” (289-290). From this, I realized that how I feel about myself is more important than other people’s opinions of me. Ever since I had this revelation, I have been working up the courage to be more confident and comfortable with myself in public settings. I believe this is the first step in my goal to achieve a happy and fulfilling life. So, the next time I walk onto that stage, I’ll be ready to perform with that goal in mind.