Laurel Gilmore
Essay #2
May 18, 2008

Summary and Response: "Anxiety: Challenge by Another Name"

            Anxiety has been known to be probably our best motivator or our greatest downfall. In James Lincoln Collier’s essay “Anxiety: Challenge by Another Name”, anxiety is described as being simply a reaction to that which we have not experienced. In his essay, Collier tells us about three points in his life where anxiety has racked his body and the lessons he has learned from either defeating it or letting it win.

            While in college, Collier was offered a chance to travel to a foreign country to live with a friend’s family. The chance would open many doors and create many wonderful memories if taken, but because of anxiety for various reasons he refused and later regretted it. He soon discovered and created this rule for himself based on the results of his refusal: “Do what makes you anxious, don’t do what makes you depressed” (Collier 35). At points in our personal lives, we all make decisions to not do something because we are afraid or anxious and most of the time thereafter we regret our refusal. For me, the decision or rather refusal to do Bloomsday up until two years ago is one I still regret, even though I am a dedicated Bloomie now. My mother always invited me to run Bloomsday with her before she fractured her heel and I always refused. While she ran, I sat at home, somewhat wishing I had done it. Now I do it every year, enjoying the physical results and also the memories I have along with it, but I regret not being able to do it with my mother while she was still able.

            At one point, Collier followed his dream of becoming a writer and began writing magazines, earning the chance to interview big named people. However, he was always nervous before each interview, shaky hands and butterflies in the stomach nervous. But he kept at it and eventually realized that he still had the butterflies, but they were excited butterflies. He later realized and created yet another rule: “You’ll never eliminate anxiety by avoiding the things that caused it” (Collier 36). In high school, I was never one to make an effort to greeting or introducing; in fact, I would often hide or flat out refuse to talk to people I didn’t know because I was too nervous. So when I left home to go to college and began working at Mukogawa Fort Wright, I was met with the frightening task, or rather job requirement, to greet AND introduce myself to 8-12 Japanese college students that I had never met let alone been told about beforehand. It was hard at first: I would make very short conversation and didn’t smile because I was scared. But three years later, I’ve realized that it’s now second nature for me to make conversation and have a warm smile towards people I’ve never met before. It’s still a daunting task I must admit, but I just take a deep breath and push forward, knowing with time I won’t be nervous anymore.

            A few years into his writing career, Collier was once again offered a chance to go to a foreign country. At this point in his life, he had traveled abroad a couple times, but the idea of being thrown into a foreign country with no knowledge of the language, culture or geography was once again daunting. He almost made the same mistake he did way back in college by refusing, but he made another realization, which turned into another rule, that made him accept the assignment: “You can’t learn if you don’t try” (Collier 37). When I started the baking program at SCC I was overflowing with anxiety: Could I do this? Was I capable of feeding the public properly? What if I break one of the many expensive mixers? Millions of frantic thoughts passed through my mind the first day of class as we were told pages and pages of important safety information and regulations. I called my mom after the first class and told her my fears and at one point considered dropping the program. She encouraged me to give it a week and see how I felt. Well I listened and after a week, I realized that you’re always going to be fearful of something you’ve never done before. Now I’m in my third quarter and even though it is not my intended career, I’m glad I didn’t drop the program. I’ve learned not only many skills related to baking but I’ve also learned many things about myself. If I had dropped out, I would never have learned how to bake the best Garlic Biscuits or Potato Rosemary Bread you have ever tasted or I would never have known that I can multitask like a pro.

            In conclusion, Collier has shared with us stories of personal defeat and growth from certain points in his life along with lessons well learned. He has shared a tale of regret from college along with the lesson of “Do what makes you anxious, don’t do what makes you depressed” (35), a daunting decision to try to live as a writer instead of graduate school from which came the lesson “You’ll never eliminate anxiety by avoiding the things that caused it” (36), and the choice to dive head first into an unknown foreign culture to which this lesson was applied “You can’t learn if you don’t try” (37). I have shared with you stories from my own personal life also and I feel that my past is a good example of the negative effects of letting anxiety win. I have many small regrets from being too afraid to do something and I also have poor grades to show it. But I’m learning and applying similar rules to my life as Collier had done to his.

I believe Collier hit the nail on the head when he said “Accept anxiety as another name for challenge, and you can accomplish wonders” (37).

MLA Citation:

Collier, James Lincoln. “Anxiety: Challenge by Another Name.” Reader’s Digest. Sept. 1997: 35-37