Our neighbors had a loud party last night. We weren’t invited but this was one of those celebrations that I didn’t ________ . They are a bunch of young, single guys and I would have felt out of place.

What ________ me was the way they behaved. One of the young men came over earlier in the day to “warn” us of the upcoming event and said it would be over at about 11 p.m. That was the first step. Even more ________ was what they did next. “Here’s my cell number,” offered our neighbor ________. “Text me if it’s too noisy. ” That was a level of ________ I had never experienced in all my years of being a neighbor!

And it really worked in their favor. My husband and I were so ________ that even when the event went past the ________ end time, even when the music reached high decibels(分贝)，and even when we couldn’t get through to the cell number, we felt no ________. We knew they would stop and ________ to it eventually.

It takes such little effort to make people feel that they ________ and get people on your side. Everyone needs to ________ every now and then, especially in these uniquely tough times. But people who do it without ________ others are few and far between. I hadn't fully ________ my neighbors until this week. But now I see them in a new light and with greater ________. They didn't just bring the noise to the neighborhood; they showed us a good manner of ________ in life.

My palms were sweating. I was sure that I could hear my heart beating fast. This was the worst. I _________ feeling this way, but I had to do what I was about to do. I drew on a small bit of my inner strength and opened my _________.

“Excuse me. I was just _________. Would it be possible to maybe get that table over there by the window _________?” I asked. My voice sounded strange to me, as if a stranger from a _________ had asked the question instead of me. I _________.

“No, I’m sorry, but that table is reserved,” the hostess replied kindly as she _________ me into the dining area. _________ I followed her to my table, I realized that the earth had not opened up and swallowed me. I had not passed out or died of _________. The entire population of the restaurant was not laughing at my bravery for asking for a table by the window. I had asked and been told “no.” That was all. Nothing more.

For someone like me, who is always __________ and unconfident, asking for a different table was a huge __________. But I’ve started doing it on a regular basis because of a simple piece of advice my mother told me: “The worst they can say is ‘no.’ ”

And so, I’ve learned to actually __________ for what I want. I’ve learned to reach for my dreams and pursue my goals. I got a job that I wanted. I’ve even gotten prices __________ on a huge variety of items. Because I asked. Because my mom was right.

Sure, I have been turned down. I can’t say I have never been __________. I have been, but I keep__________. I will continue to ask for what I want out of life and from other people. What could happen? The worst they can say is “no.”

Before I started high school my parents gave me the greatest gift any teenage boy could ask for: a cell phone. I______ that phone all summer. To me, being connected was more important than being present. So, you can imagine my ______ when I learned what my dad had ______ for my family vacation that year. “This year,” my dad said, “We are going camping!” His excitement was met with a disappointing sigh（叹气）. ______, he wasn’t upset.

The views during the trip were amazing, but none of those mattered to me. My mind was on my phone. I remembered the first time I looked up was for something shocking—my phone had no service. My dad said that it would be ______ until we returned home. I would be ______ in the forest for four days with no way to contact the outside world. I went to bed angry that night. But something ______ when I awoke in the morning. ______ immediately burying my head in my phone, I ______ something else: my surroundings. As my dad and I walked the trails（小路），I felt the weight of tons of stress off my shoulders.

I realized being ______ to nature made me focus more on myself. I let my mind speak to me and listened to my feelings. I had been so focused on staying connected that I hadn’t been hearing my own ______. That was 15 years ago, and I carry that ______ to this day. When I received my first work email. I ______ the reason why my dad chose a campsite with no access to technology. In a world that asks for more connectivity, the need to check up your cell phone becomes stronger. Having my own time is nearly ______ when I can be ______ at any time of day or night. So, I need to work harder.

Whenever I feel my inner self is slipping away, I follow my dad’s guidance. I pack up the tent and drive until my phone shows those two magic words: “no service”.