Socially awkward journalist

Last week I saw a man I have a class with who is in another program at my college. We'd never spoken before. I had to do interviews for a radio class assignment, so I dropped into a chair across from him and asked if he'd give me a few minutes.

He stuttered a little, but had intelligent responses. He was really nice. 

“Sorry for taking up your time,” I said before walking away. “I’m sure you have a ton of homework to do.”

“No problem. It helps with my social anxiety,” he replied, smiling back.

I read something when I was in high school (I can't remember where or by who) about how writers tend to be socially awkward. Specifically, journalists tend to be.

The writer was saying how sometimes he meets people in person and they're surprised how he's nothing like he sounds on paper. He stutters and doesn't form sentences well. 

That was when I finally decided to pursue my childhood dream of becoming a journalist. “It’s okay,” I thought. “I can be a stammering weirdo but still have a writing career.”

Now here I am in school to become a journalist, wondering who the heck that guy was and what he really did, because he clearly wasn’t a journalist.

Journalists have to approach strangers and start up conversations. Being a journalist involves quickly putting words together to form articulate and intelligent questions. I jumble my words and sound like an idiot having conversations with people I’ve known for years. Verbal communication has never been my thing.

Being a journalism student has helped me a lot with my shyness. And when other people admit their social awkwardness and anxiousness to me (as happens more frequently lately) it makes me feel a lot better. I may not be great at this being out in the world chatting with strangers and acquaintances thing, but at least I’m not alone.