Strangers asking for help! aaaaahhh! :P

[Moo]

I'm the sort of person that loves to help people in whatever way I can but often my axiety gets in the way. Personally I think there's not much that makes me panic more than when someone is relying on me to help them especially when it's strangers AND involves me interacting much more than I feel I can handle.

This morning I was walking up to college but was a bit early so decided to take a walk down some random streets (instead of sitting inside in the canteen where people can see me anxiety thing!). Anyway an old foreign woman comes over to me and hands me her mobile phone and asks if I could please sort out a doctor's appointment for her because she couldn't understand the woman on the end of her phone. I'm literally terrified of speaking on the phone and I almost said that I couldn't help but I decided to suck it up and help her. I hadn't felt so proud of myself in a very long time. I stepped way outside my comfort zone and it felt good. After that though I was a little shaken up in a "did that just happen?" kind of way because it was a very unexpected request, you must admit, not to mention difficult for someone who panics at this sort of thing.

Also last Monday I had an old couple ask me which bus stop they had to get off at to get to my town's train station. I told them I could sit near them and tell them where to get off and point them in the right direction.

They were both such small simple things to do but I still look back and cringe for no reason at all. To be honest I have no idea why. Just get those creeping thoughts of "did I do that right?", "did I sound weird?", "did I look weird?", "did I do what a normal person would?" etc... ::


So yeah, I'd love to hear some stories of similar situations and how you react to strangers and why.

And if no one relpies I feel good for getting it out there lol. ::
If it's out in the open it's less on my mind. Don't know about you but I constantly replay stuff like this in my mind.

 

[LonelyWonders]

First of all, I must say.. I LOVE YOUR NAME! but there has never been a time where a stranger has asked me a single thing to do.. I'm nooooot the most approachable person you'd ever meet

 

[Moo]

First of all, I must say.. I LOVE YOUR NAME! but there has never been a time where a stranger has asked me a single thing to do.. I'm nooooot the most approachable person you'd ever meet

Aw thank you. My name is Moira so my nickname is often Mo or Moo.

Anyway I'm not approachable (unless I somehow give off "happy to help" vibes even though I don't think that's possible with my lack of eye contact and general uncomfortableness!) but that doesn't stop people. I'm actually stopped quite infrequently but because it's happened twice within a week it has been kind of on my mind.

 

[LonelyWonders]

Aw thank you. My name is Moira so my nickname is often Mo or Moo.

Anyway I'm not approachable (unless I somehow give off "happy to help" vibes even though I don't think that's possible with my lack of eye contact and general uncomfortableness!) but that doesn't stop people. I'm actually stopped quite infrequently but because it's happened twice within a week it has been kind of on my mind.

Also I want to say, congratz on stepping out of your comfort zone. I probably would of handed the phone back abruptly and ran. Probably because i've never been asked for or been given help before, espeically from a stranger ..

 

[Moo]

Also I want to say, congratz on stepping out of your comfort zone. I probably would of handed the phone back abruptly and ran. Probably because i've never been asked for or been given help before, espeically from a stranger ..

Haha believe me I was tempted to drop the phone and run for the hills! ::

Was good to try and actively change my behaviour though. Thank you.

 

[Dani.F]

im exactly the same way though...there are times people would ask me something and i would completely dont know what to answer and I would say "sorry I dont know" but the moment the person left i would remember and i would think how stupid and wierd I was and when I do reply i get those thoughts too.
well other times is when is turists though in my city there arent any when i go to other city's sometimes they would ask and im usually dont know where things are there but its worse and they dont speak my language or when they dont speak english or speak with wierd accent that i usually dont understand and with gets really awkward though.
but for me the most awkward is when strangers start to talk to me and telling about there life and i just stay the and occasionally nod my head in agreement but that situation left me very uncomfortable and keep thing that its never end.