Recently, I once again found myself facing one of my biggest dreads. I was heading out to spend the day with the family at a gathering with an enormous number of other people in attendance.

I can’t quite put into words why being in a crowd of people bothers me. Whenever I find myself in these situations, I simply start to feel like I don’t belong there, and I need to leave. I’ve never gone so far as to have a panic attack, but I often find myself antsy.

This event was a chance for people of all fandoms to meet their celebrities of choice. I have not seen this eclectic of a mix of notable people from across the spectrum of pop culture. There were several people who have played Superman and Supergirl, some pro wrestlers, comic book artists, TV show stars, movie stars, voice actors, and other pop culture phenoms.

The weather the day of the event was scorching heat, with dispersed rain showers. Between the sun and the rain, it felt like walking through hot soup to get to the convention center. On the way in, we saw a poor gentleman in a full-body foam rubber The Thing cosplay from Fantastic 4. He was pouring sweat and breathing heavily. He managed to give us a wonderful “It’s clobberin' time!” as we walked past despite his condition.

Inside the building, there was air conditioning, but the oppressive heat from outside made itself known in other ways. There was a mass of people who had all been outside, and it created a certain fragrance in the air of the convention center. Along with the body odor, the heat emanating from the press of people was tangible.

I was surprised by the size of the gathering. This building was three stories and all three were packed with things to be done. There were meet and greet booths, vendors selling their wares, and group panels for Q&A sessions.

As we got further into the building, the space seemed to open up and allow you room to breathe. We stopped to review the map to orient ourselves and find all the points we wanted to scope out. We decided the first order of business would be to find the kids' celebrity guest that brought us here in the first place.

Both of our children (you will hear me refer to them as Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger) were over the moon to attend Fanboy Expo. Among the famous people to be there was a gentleman by the name of Steve Burns.

For a nominal fee, you could go up to meet Steve and, depending on how much you were willing to spend, get signed merchandise or a selfie with him. You may be asking yourself, as I was, who is Steve Burns? He is best known for his role as Steve on the children’s television show Blue’s Clues.

Steve was gracious and handled the Plinies admirably. He took a few moments to speak with each of them and even gave the Younger a sticker. He posed with them for some selfies and even took multiple shots with a few of them being silly. The kids were over the moon with what a great guy Steve was.

I went online a bit later and did some reading up on Steve. He seems to be the next version of Mr. Rogers. People that know him or have followed his career say that he is one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. My small amount of self research backs up this claim 100%. He was a treat to meet with the kids, and all his recent content I looked up was inspiring and positive.

While we were inside the building, I did have to calm myself down a few times as the proximity of the crowds with the noise and heat did start to get to me. I would never have gone to an event like this for myself. Every so often, it is easier to be a stronger person on the behalf of others.

I knew how excited our kids were to attend this event. Pliny the Elder even did her first cosplay. She went as Ellie from The Last of Us. Several people gave her a solid looking over, and a few even asked if they could take photos with her. I wasn’t going to let my insecurities impact our kids having a great day out!

Occasionally, it is easy to let fear rule your life. Fear does have its place, but it should not be the sole reason for decisions. Forcing myself into situations like this is arduous, but each time I overcome my fears, it gets easier. My wife has been a tremendous support for me with these types of issues. We have been to a few concerts and live shows together, which is something I never thought I’d do.

If you find yourself passing up moments of your life because they are scary, please consider that maybe, you CAN do those things. Perhaps, like me, you could find it easier to push yourself if you frame it as an act of service for one of your loved ones. I have come through each of these trials feeling better about myself and realizing that I can do so much more than I ever gave myself credit for. I have also had the joy of experiencing these wonderful moments with my family!

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. I hope your days ahead find you able to conquer some challenge in your life and come out the other side all the better for it.