Finding like minded people

Since the divorce, I have really opened myself up to opportunities and put myself out there by getting to know so many other people.  One benefit I have discovered to that is that great opportunities just fall into my lap more often as people know enough about me to think of me.

One of the men in my church choir was scheduled to take a full-day birding tour to the Black Belt with Alabama Audubon yesterday with a good friend of his.  Unfortunately, his friend could not go because of a family emergency.  So Friday evening, I got a text from my choir friend asking if I would like to go with him.  

I was beyond excited.  The local Audubon groups were already in the back of my mind as groups I wanted to eventually get involved with - I love birds and I love photographing them so a group dedicated to their conservation sounded right up my alley.

So as I decided what to wear, I pulled out a t-shirt with shorebirds on it and socks with bird watchers and song birds and then threw my cardinal socks in my backpack in case the first ones got wet in the rain.  I paused a moment wondering if I was going overboard but the moment I stepped onto that bus early Saturday morning and saw bird shirt after bird shirt and then got compliment after compliment on mine, I knew I was in good company!

The staff from Alabama Audubon that lead the trip were so knowledgeable and personable and we had the privilege of having their Board President and another Board member join us.  And the rest of us brought so much enthusiasm from our very varying skill levels.  Conversations were easy and I very quickly felt so comfortably part of the group.  

I don't know if I have ever had such an easy experience like this with a group of people.  Although, I also don't know if I have ever put myself out there as much as I have over the past year.  I've had a lot of practice talking to people and trying out groups.  I imagine I've built up both some social skills and maybe eased some anxieties of being around people I don't know.  So yesterday's experience might be a combination of the right group of people at a time in my life where I've done the work to become ready to join such a group.

I look forward to finding more events with the local Audubon societies to join so that I can get to know some of these people better and meet other similarly minded people.