TIMID AS A MOUSE

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE TIMID AS A MOUSE? TO BE SHY, BASHFUL, RESERVED AND SENSITIVELY TIMID? OVER A CENTURY AGO, GEORGE MOORE SAID THAT "WITHIN THE OFTENTIMES BOMBASTIC AND TRUCULENT APPEARANCE THAT I PRESENT TO THE WORLD, TREMBLES A HEART SHY AS A WREN IN THE HEDGEROW OR A MOUSE ALONG THE WAINSCOTING." NONSENSE.

"I WAS SHY. I WANTED TO FIT IN. ALL MY FRIENDS WERE DOING DRUGS." THESE WORDS FROM A RADIO, PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT ARE ALSO NONSENSE.

TAKE IT FROM ONE WHO KNOWS. WALLFLOWERS DO NOT BLOOM AMIDST A CIRCLE OF FRIENDS. SHY PEOPLE DO NOT ADAPT A FRONT OF AGGRESSION AND ASSURANCE. WE DO NOT DO DRUGS TO FIT IN. TIMIDITY AND SENSITIVITY MELT TOGETHER FORCING US TO TURN INWARD. 'MOUSEY' WAS A WORD LIKELY TO UNDERSCORE A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION PHOTO.