I never got especially attached to these places. I always considered myself a transient, passing through. I didn't make friends. I never got invested. I preferred to stay anonymous.
East Jesus has been different. Coming to East Jesus was my chance to hit the re-set button, find redemption, and make my life count.I have to chuckle at the symbolism: I needed saving, and East Jesus is where my salvation keeps happening.
I've made friends here. I've gotten involved in the life of this place. I've even ventured into community organizing.
Anyway, I realized the other night just how different life in East Jesus is.
We were out with friends for happy hour at a popular downtown establishment. It was First Friday in East Jesus, so everyone was out on the town. This was the first time Court and I have gone to First Friday.
The night started slow, but by the end there had been nearly fifteen people with our group. And while our group was having a great time, another group, mostly people we know from church, streamed in throughout the evening.
All night Court and I were bumping into people as they came and went. I shook more hands and hugged more people Friday night than I did standing in the receiving line of my own wedding.
Without knowing it, I got popular.
Here's the thing. I'm aloof. I'm a loner. I find comfort in anonymity. Popular and me don't go together. I don't know that I'm cut out for all this popularity.
So far so good. I'm having fun for a change.
6 comments:
You know...seems like reaching out through a blog has had some side effects...heh.
Maybe.
But I've been blogging for years. It's only now that I seem to have gotten a life.
Ack! Socializing!! I just broke out in hives.
Then again, I'm weird. Hope you are enjoying yourself.
When we moved to CT it was so weird to go out and not see anyone we knew. Now we're at the point where we often see someone we know, it's comforting to be part of a community.
Perhaps at one time you were aloof and a loner, but those are not at all words I would use to describe you. I think of you more as quietly sociable.
"quietly sociable" does have a nice ring to it. :) That's how I think of myself.
My biggest problem in the past was low self-esteem. An education and crazy meds solved that problem.
Another problem of the past was my first marriage, which started out well enough but then quickly deteriorated toward complete dysfunction. I stayed as hidden as possible. Divorce solved that problem.
More recently time has been a factor. Up until six months ago I was working two jobs to pay my way out of a fuck-ton of debt. Now that I'm doing just the consulting and working from home, it's like I'm retired.
I have a lot of time to fill. I have to find something constructive to do with it.
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