My palms sweat when remembering that one time I tried to give a plant to my professor during office hours. I'd spent the previous evening hand-picking the perfect succulent from a store down the street, carefully re-potting it with a matching ceramic bowl. I wanted to make an impression, prove to him I was a devoted student beyond mere attendance. But my fingers trembled as I approached his desk, the succulent's leaves quivering slightly as I fumbled the dish, and my professor's eyes crinkled in discomfort as he politely declined the gift. "Thank you, though," he stammered, hastily setting the bowl on an empty folder, "your...enthusiasm is noted."
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