Connecting with people

I spent the evening at the brewery across the street hanging out with church people.  With the Pride Parade this weekend, they had a sign making party.  I didn't make a sign this year.  I hated carrying a sign last year.  I just want to dance and talk to people and smile and laugh and everything else, a sign gets in the way of all that.

I wanted to gather with people as they made their signs (or chose not to make a sign) and it truly was a wonderful evening.

None of them are close friends.  Although all of them are really interesting people.  We just never clicked in the same way.  But I got out of the house.  I talked and laughed with people.  I joined conversations.  I made my way around the room in a way I never imagined I was capable of doing.  I could feel my joy bubbling over as I talked about my upcoming move.  I enjoyed hearing their stories.  And I admired the connections some of them had with one another.  It reminded me of the connections I want to work to build in my new city, the connections I had started building here.

My therapist asked me what I envision Atlanta to be like and the first thing out of my mouth was about the rich relationships I want to build.  I acknowledged the work and time it is going to take.  And I talked about how all my dreams of my new neighborhood revolved around the groups and activities I might join.  There is this running list in my head of all the things I have already come across and a separate list of all the things I want to look for - maybe a pickleball class, a monthly writing classes at the library, the art museum events, an improv class, a community choir, a church, a book club....the possibilities are endless but that is where my dreams have been taking me these days.

I also am looking forward to just stepping out into a more confident version of me.  I feel it already.  I sense it will just keep growing as I walk over more and more grates.