"I'm just trying to go through life without looking stupid."

Thus begins one of comedian Brian Regan's routines. Despite laughing pretty much nonstop throughout the ensuing 60 minutes of observational humor, I find myself returning to that first line.

. . . "I'm just trying to go through life without looking stupid."

I can't get over how accurately that describes my approach toward life sometimes--especially after starting a new phase I'm unfamiliar with.

Like my internship with BreakPoint, for example . . . Sure, the people are great; and no, there's nothing terribly complicated that I'm required to do. But it's the everyday things--working the coffee machine, navigating through the building, meeting well-known individuals--that cause me to lock up and start focusing on whether or not I'm "looking stupid."

Sometimes it can't be helped, but it's a shame how often I'm preoccupied by such thoughts. It would be nice if--like Regan--I could see the humor in awkward moments, instead of sweating them out.