9.01.2009

discovery #6

i need to work harder to maintain my "community"

last weekend i was reminded how much i need this community i have found in houston. when i left chicago (and the urban tribe i had relied so much upon) i never thought i would find a group of like-minded souls to encourage, nourish, and support me. graduate school would not have been the same without the trip to china, which is where most of these friendships blossomed.

but now that classes have ended and we've all moved on to jobs and families and other responsibilities, it takes a lot more effort. i want to make the commitment to planning more "getaway weekends" and truly embrace this group of wonderfully diverse friends who have entered my life.

i have discovered as i've gotten older that it becomes more and more difficult to "make friends." in kindergarten it's easy: share a pb&j and you're in! high school might have been a bit more challenging, but with after-school groups and sports teams, there were always people around. and once we left for college or got that first job, there were always people there to study with, bitch to, or ask to cover our shift when we had a hot date.

but at 32 i find fewer and fewer opportunities to meet people and sustain meaningful friendships. and as i see my friends from chicago less and less often, i rely more on the bonds i have created in my new town. this is a topic i'm sure to cover more in the future, as there has been a broadening of my definition of community since my induction into the blogosphere.

so, as i commit to more face-time with my group locally, i also commit to commenting more frequently on blogs i follow. and hopefully, a chance to connect with other women searching for inspiration, sharing their stories, and creating a forum to showcase their talents.

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