Have you ever stood in line somewhere and made eye contact with someone? Let me guess: you did a double-take, tried not to stare but ended up anyway, and kicked yourself for not talking to the person as you grabbed your food and walked out the door. Maybe you wondered how things would’ve played out if you complimented them on their shoes or smirked in their direction. This article is inspired by the double-takes I see all the time on campus between people in the Chick-Fil-A line, and the urge that I get every time to tell them to shoot their shot. Swish. Goal. You get the point.

My guess used to be that the majority of the people who don’t shoot their shot, have some sort of ego-complex. It’s like putting themselves out there weighed more in their decision than exploring the avenue of a new person. Boy, was I (semi) wrong.

I had a class that I sat in the back of (to respectfully stuff my face during lectures), when I noticed a guy that would admire a girl across the room every class. Anytime she’d speak during discussion, she had his complete attention. Before you wonder, no, it wasn’t creepy; he simply admired her from a distance. The look in his eyes had a sincerity and curiosity that finally convinced me to be nosey and take up casual conversation with this stranger about his growing crush. I came to find out that the sincerity in his eyes was masked in the complete pureness of a human being. After getting to know this person, I realized this girl would be lucky to be noticed by a guy like him: meek, humble and very shy. “Just ask her for a pencil and to see her notes!” One day I encouraged him, and the rest is history.

What was once an admirable stare across the room during class turned into the pair sitting together at every class session. Moral of the story is, it all started with a damn pencil. And while I’m not saying that every outcome of shooting your shot will result in a slam dunk, I will ask, what the hell do you have to lose? Chances are, they might have done a double-take on you too.

For those who need a play-by-play,

Xoxo,

Big Sis