What social activities do you do?

I don't have any social activities at the moment, but I would like to join something that involves my interests.

Registering for an allotment or being part of an art or music class has interested me, but I find the initial process of becoming part of the group difficult.  In the past, I have attend for a couple of sessions, get some pointers then continue on my own pursuits outside of the group.

For 2018, I would like to get to know people who are keen gardeners as I could do with some help as I'm a bit of a novice, as well as look into beekeeping - although I think this may be a 2019 project realistically.  Just need to work out how to manage my time better now as work has been getting in the way of my interests.

I don't know about anyone else, but I also find some social activities can be unnecessarily expensive.  I understand everyone needs to make  a living and there are overhead costs to factor in, but for those who have limited or no income, this can be a big barrier. 

Yes, I recently joined an art group at the teachers house. I enjoyed it, there was only 5 of us, one autistic young man who sits at a table by himself and does his own thing although he's not anti social, he joins in the conversation sometimes and they all like him. Another woman has some physical difficulties, another one, a retired teacher I think, is a perfectionist and the other lady is a retired business owner. It's a nice group and very local but it costs £10 for 2 hours and we never know what we're going to do until we get there so it feels a bit disjointed to me. My friend told me about another excellent art group which is more structured and if you're on benefits you get it free, so I'm going to join that one. 

I'd love an allotment but I'm not sure if that will happen, but my friend has one and although she is highly sensitive to just about everything and likes to keep social contact fairly minimal, I know that the allotment group are a very friendly group who help each other out and share regular cups of tea together, so I think you'd be most welcome if you got yourself an allotment.

I'm still finding my way with what I want to do, but I know that whatever we want to do, we will find a way to do it if we want it enough. There are many opportunities for people on low incomes although we have to do some digging to find them or get some help with that. 

When I was working I found that it got in the way of everything I wanted to do, even buying the food I wanted from the shops I wanted. They were closed before and after work and often after work, I was too tired to do anything else. So this time, I'm creating my work to fit round my interests. The way I see it, our interests are of high importance to us, as we don't interact with the world in the same way nt's do, so for me, I have to put other things before the importance of work and also get other benefits from work, for example, interaction with others. So it's a slow process and I know my end goal, I'm just taking baby steps now to achieve it and I'm getting help with the steps I take. 

Im sure it would be great if you got an allotment Starbuck. 

Yes, I recently joined an art group at the teachers house. I enjoyed it, there was only 5 of us, one autistic young man who sits at a table by himself and does his own thing although he's not anti social, he joins in the conversation sometimes and they all like him. Another woman has some physical difficulties, another one, a retired teacher I think, is a perfectionist and the other lady is a retired business owner. It's a nice group and very local but it costs £10 for 2 hours and we never know what we're going to do until we get there so it feels a bit disjointed to me. My friend told me about another excellent art group which is more structured and if you're on benefits you get it free, so I'm going to join that one. 

I'd love an allotment but I'm not sure if that will happen, but my friend has one and although she is highly sensitive to just about everything and likes to keep social contact fairly minimal, I know that the allotment group are a very friendly group who help each other out and share regular cups of tea together, so I think you'd be most welcome if you got yourself an allotment.

I'm still finding my way with what I want to do, but I know that whatever we want to do, we will find a way to do it if we want it enough. There are many opportunities for people on low incomes although we have to do some digging to find them or get some help with that. 

When I was working I found that it got in the way of everything I wanted to do, even buying the food I wanted from the shops I wanted. They were closed before and after work and often after work, I was too tired to do anything else. So this time, I'm creating my work to fit round my interests. The way I see it, our interests are of high importance to us, as we don't interact with the world in the same way nt's do, so for me, I have to put other things before the importance of work and also get other benefits from work, for example, interaction with others. So it's a slow process and I know my end goal, I'm just taking baby steps now to achieve it and I'm getting help with the steps I take. 

Im sure it would be great if you got an allotment Starbuck. 

Thanks Starbuck. I’m forced, due to exhaustion, to take baby steps and as I do, I’m realising the importance and benefit of doing so, which will minimise the risk of crashing and burning, again! 

Your plans sound perfect, you could also consider going along to your local allotments and having a chat to the folk there. Most people love the opportunity to talk about their special interest (nd or nt) and love the opportunity to help others by sharing their knowledge and wisdom, so I bet if you went along they’d be happy to chat to you and give you tips. 

You are right BlueRay.  We do rely on our interests a lot for happiness and contentment, so it is only right that they are allocated dedicated time in our busy schedules.

I'm currently looking at moving jobs so I can work closer to home, the idea being I can get home earlier and hopefully have more time to pursue the things I love.

For the time being, my partner has made me a raised growing trough and a potting bench - it's lovely!

This means I can do a bit of growing my own at home and if I find I do have the time, I can expand it to an allotment.  I just like the idea of sharing knowledge on the subject and my partner said I do need to socialise if possible, so it might be a good starting point.

As for the art and music classes, everything I have found in my local area has been unstructured and not designed to improve skills or understanding.  They are also very expensive for what they provide in my opinion.  I would prefer a more structured course where I know what to expect before attending if possible.

I'll focus on the gardening with the hope of progressing to an allotment.  The idea of a community kitchen and tea drinking sessions that I hear about from other allotment blogs sounds lovely.

Keep going with the baby steps BlueRay.  It's more important that we get there eventually, rather than crash and burn trying.