An acquaintance told me I needed to be careful not to "isolate" during retirement. Another said I should never turn down an opportunity to do something different. Still, when I was invited to spend a weekend with a group of women I hadn't seen or spoken to since about the 4th grade, my first impulse was to politely decline. I had a bunch of nifty excuses, such as it was too far to drive, the weather was turning bad, I wasn't sure I would recognize any of them, but truthfully, I'm just not good at socializing. I don't like parties or making small talk. So I'm not sure why I took the plunge, but it was so worth it! There was sand dune climbing, a little shopping, a couple good restaurants, and even a parade complete with a clown band, but the best part was just being in the company of women whose friendships were forged in the formative years. It was akin to putting on your most comfy sweatshirt and fuzzy slippers and sitting by the fire with nothing to worry about. It's easy for me to say no. This experience has taught me to say yes. It WAS too far to drive and the weather was pretty bad. But recognition of childhood friends was not an issue, and my cheeks still hurt from laughing.
No comments:
Post a Comment