Can we (gulp) talk?

What is it about communication with your (new? potential? quasi?) partner that is so intimidating? We all know, or I hope we all know, that the key to a healthy relationship is communication, being honest and open, being real. So why do we hide our feelings so much?

Saturday night, Mr. Nice initiated our first big "where are we now?" talk. It was terrifying. We talked about relationships past, some of our fears and insecurities about moving forward too quickly. We agreed that it's still too soon to talk about this in terms of making a long-term commitment, but at the same time we agreed that things as they are right now are looking pretty damn good. While there still is much uncertainty about the future of this whatevership, I know it was the right thing to do. So much of the anxiety I've been having over the past couple of weeks has stemmed from my not knowing where he's coming from (and from my not feeling like he knows where I'm coming from).

I think I shy away from being assertive in relationships out of fear of rejection; perhaps I think that if I stay silent, the relationship will magically work itself out. Even now, I'm finding myself worry that I've exposed too much, that Mr. Nice has figured out that I'm "crazy." I know it's ridiculous, that it would be better to voice what I'm feeling and be rejected than to hide it inside and suffer miserably (and probably wind up rejected in the long run, anyway).