At the beginning of the year I got really tired of the online dating scene, mainly because a lot of people didn't seem very serious on there. A couple people suggested Events and Adventures, but it was so expensive, I really didn't want to pay hundreds on dues for a social group that I might not even like. After some internet searching I discovered this site called meetup.com. For those of you that have never heard of it, they have a group for everything. It's not just for single people, or even young people. I decided to give it a shot, what did I have to lose, but kept chickening out, making every excuse in the book for why I wasn't going to go. I have a disorder that causes extreme social anxiety, so I knew that this was a big step for me, to go to an event with 30+ people and not knowing any of them.
I had been a member of a fitness meetup group for a about a month, going off and on, but I finally went to my first social meetup group on April 19, 2013, and never regretted a minute. It was so low-key and everyone was so friendly. We met up at Park Tavern in the party room, which was reserved for us, and then did $10 unlimited cosmic bowling. I didn't talk to very many people very much at that first meetup, but I could definitely feel myself making a huge leap in my social life. I went to my second one about a week later at a rock climbing gym. I'm not very good at rock climbing, but everyone was high fiving and offering encouragement, no matter the skill level. I was hooked! I started going to more meetups and getting more active in my social life.
As I mentioned in past blogs on here, my summer was very busy, so I stopped going for awhile. At first it was because I was helping my brother with his wedding. I was signed up for two meetups the following weekend, I figured by then I would be fully recovered from the previous weekend of wedding festivities. Unfortunately, all that week I was visiting my grandma and coping with her in the dying process, so had to miss out on a couple. That weekend she died and I went into a deep grieving process, that still comes around from time to time. A few weeks after that I decided to throw a big bash for my 30th, which took all my time and money to plan and execute. Luckily I used disposable plates and forks, that would have been a lot of dishes. A couple weeks after that I was in the process of moving. It has been two months since my last meetup.
Today I made up for it by going to two meetups. A couple people in one of the meetups asked where I had been, and I told them that the last couple months had been crazy. One person said that he hoped it was good crazy, to which I replied, "a little of both. I had a wedding, funeral, birthday party, and moved." He said, "well, that's the whole spectrum of emotion right there!" Oh, how I missed these groups. I played a pickup game of softball, had my first juicy lucy while relaxing after two hours of playing, played a round of Frisbee golf, played "cricket" darts (and lost), and relaxed while meeting new, and old, friends.
After getting home I decided to join a bunch more, mainly because I just get on a social "high" after going to these meetups. I started searching for book clubs, scrapbooking clubs, any way to get out of my apartment that won't break my bank too much. I feel like I spend too much time cooped up inside, especially lately, and today was a very refreshing break. I even went out this morning for breakfast with some friends and family that I haven't seen in almost a month. It ended up being a little expensive as far as food for the day, but worth it to have the opportunity to socialize with friends, old and new. It's also the first time in awhile that my feet hurt more than if I would have been at work all day. I might actually need to get painkillers tomorrow, pulled a muscle in my left shoulder while hitting a softball and then I had another softball hit me right on the inside of my elbow.
I'm hoping that as the winter months come I don't stop going. I know that I have a hard time going sometimes, due to social anxiety, but even if I just go to one a month it will at least get me out there. I also am planning on having a housewarming party soon, which will help because it will help get the old "gang" back together. Everybody is so busy these days that we need to schedule time in advance to hang out. That's life I guess...
No comments:
Post a Comment