One day, I went to the bank in Weymouth to make your average deposit. Or maybe it was a withdrawal. Doesn’t matter.
As I walked up to the teller, I looked to my right. I saw someone who looked exactly like Tobin Bell.
Now, Tobin Bell isn’t one of your super-famous actors. But, he was the actor who played the villain in some of my favorite horror movies.
There was an internal dialogue going on in my mind. I wanted to approach him and say, “Are you Tobin Bell?” But I was afraid I would look stupid. So, I didn’t.
As I left the bank, I whipped my phone out and Googled “Tobin Bell.” It turns out he’s from Weymouth.
I sprinted back to the bank. He was nowhere to be found.
The next day, I had to go back to the bank. I asked the teller, “Was Tobin Bell in here yesterday?” She replied, “Yes.”
Five years later, I’m still kicking myself. What was I afraid was going to happen?
The worst-case scenario would have been the gentleman saying, “No, I have no idea who Tobin Bell is.” And I would be off to the next blog-worthy experience.
The lesson? Next time you’re worried about looking stupid, just do the thing anyway. Or, imagine what the worst-case scenario would be, no matter how ridiculous. If it’s not life-threatening, just do it.
And maybe, just maybe…one day, you’ll get to meet your own Tobin Bell when everyone else was too afraid to ask.