Digital Only: Youth Voices

I Used to Be Scared of Girls

A few years ago, I didn’t talk to anyone outside of my family, my five or six close friends, and maybe a few acquaintances. None of my friends were girls, and the friends I did have were very similar to me. I wouldn’t talk to girls because I was scared of them. I didn’t want to talk to anyone different from me. I didn’t know how to carry on a conversation if our interests weren’t the same.

That summer, I went to my first FSY conference. I tried not to talk to the girls in my company for the first two days because I didn’t know how. But eventually they started to talk to me and be friends with me, and I realized they were nice.

At the beginning of my next school year, I got “peer-pressured” into going to my first school dance. I asked a girl who I had sort of talked to before in a class. She probably barely knew who I was, but she said she would go with me. This forced me to talk to her. I actually enjoyed the group date and became good friends with the girl I went with.

After that, I realized that girls are just normal people too. Everyone who is different from me is just another person, same as I am. We’re all children of God, so why would I avoid someone because of their different looks, personalities, or interests?

Now, some of my closest friends are girls, and a lot of my guy friends are completely different from anyone I thought I would spend time with two years ago.

Remember, everyone is different from you, and that’s a good thing. Don’t focus only on those differences, but try to be friends with people around you.

Elder Spencer Evans, age 18, Utah, USA

Likes singing, listening to music, and making others laugh.