Anna Johnson

center stage

I was never the loud girl in school. I was never the prettiest or the smartest - the funniest nor the bravest. I was quiet, and I tried to be as kind as I could to everyone and I cared deeply for my small group of friends. I was never the first to speak or the loudest to speak - I wasn't always the one who reached out to make plans, but I always showed up. I never wanted to be the center of attention - it terrified me and made my cheeks feel red-hot and my palms sweat. I didn't want to be expected to have the perfect answer or a funny joke, because I was never ready with either. I liked to have my words thought out in my head, rehearsed at least three times, before another soul would even be lucky enough to hear my final draft. Words are hard - at least the spoken-out loud ones - writing, however, comes much more naturally to me. Writing is often the second way we think of words, but I believe there are actually many other ways in which we see, hear or feel words, and I do actually have a favorite - a favorite, that doesn't involve speaking at all.