Social Anxiety

I stand and wait,

My hands clammy and my throat tight,

I recite it over and over in my head,

I fear I'm going to fumble, humiliate myself.

I feel my breath getting shallow,

My hands start to shake, I hold them tight, maybe a little too tight...

It's almost my turn now,

I feel nauseous, overwhelmed,

I want to run away but I know it has to be done.

I feel a lump in my throat,

I take a deep breath, it all comes down to this.

I'm flooded with a sea of emotions, I don't know if I can do it!

I take another deep breath, step forward and barely bring myself to look up...

And then I hear it,

The 5 words that strike fear into my heart,

"May I take your order?"