Abject Terror + A Bluff = New Confidence

Lori Widmer' recent post at Words on the Page, Worthwhile Tip: Stop Apologizing , encourages writers to stop doubting themselves.

It reminded me of something totally unrelated to writing, but an event that may well have given me the self-confidence to try anything. I left a comment on Lori's post but decided to share the story here as well.

I was the first person in my family to go to college, and I was in a work-study program to help pay for my education. I was assigned to the library, and...