Let Them Talk
People are going to talk no matter what you do. If you stay quiet, they will have an opinion about that. If you try something new, they will have an opinion about that too. Most of the worrying happens before anything actually happens. You picture what someone might say, and you start editing yourself to avoid it. You don’t wear it. You don’t post it. You don’t go. The problem is you can’t manage other people’s thoughts. You can only manage what you do with your time. If talk is inevitable, you may as well spend your time doing something you actually enjoy. That’s not about proving a point. It’s just a better use of a short life.
