Devil In The White City Analysis

In Erik Larson’s “Devil in the White City” his character Olmstead said “that we are always personally under an agitating pressure and cloud of anxiety.” This quote directly resonates with my life and how I subject myself and my body to physiological symptoms of anxiety, especially towards things that are not that serious. One task that causes me to feel uncomfortable is calling a stranger on the phone. I will delay making the call even if it’s regarding a minor question such as finding out the opening and closing times for a store. It’s on the edge of becoming a professional handicap, because calling is a useful way to get a faster reply. Still, I would rather opt for sending an email regardless of how time consuming it will be to get a response.
For this challenge, I chose to call the registrar office to learn about my graduation status. Before attempting to make the call, I recorded a few of my fears and any physical indicators of anxiety. The first thoughts running through my head is “what if I forget what to say,” “my voice is going to tremble or stammer and the receiver on the other line will think I’m wasting their time,”
In the meantime, I have to realize that the chances of meeting this person are slim and that part of their job is to answer questions in spite of how well versed or nervous the caller is. After phoning the office, I felt relieved. My mom who is aware of my situation, told me to write down exactly what I need to say thus I can be prepared and have a cold glass of water beside me. At first, I was still hesitant and waited 15 minutes until I finally pressed the green call button. In general, the conversation was prompt and I got the answer I needed. My voice did crack and the moment I was put on hold my breathing did get heavier, but I managed to stick to the