Published on 12, July, 2020
My therapist has repeatedly encouraged me to join some kind of club or a meetup group or do a class to get me out of the house and meet people, maybe even make some friends.
I see the point and there are classes I would find interesting, but the thought of going to one of these by myself is just too daunting. I find it difficult not to assume people tend to join these things with a friend and I don’t want to be the weird guy on his own.
Have any of you gone to these things by yourself? Do people really do that?
I have done all kinds of groups and classes over the years. Most of them I went on my own and many other people started going on their own. Often It was attend, then later on bit by bit get to know people in stages. Have done
Drama
Journaling
upcycling
Art
Craft
Neurodivergent Spirituality
Meditation
One of the best for me was A Philosophy class. It was therapeutic in a sense of encouraging to be free thinking.
It can be a bit nervous at first but the fear did ease.
Walking groups can be good in that there was no obligation to chat but could just chat a bit now and then with who I was walking close to.
I am also a cafe addict. It can be nice to sit at a table on my own but with people around. However I have got to know one or two regulars.
I’m going to try and sign myself up for a language class in the new year. But I’ll have to be very deliberate in how I interact where people - I know I put up an invisible wall around myself so I need to force myself to make eye contact and respond to questions with more than yes or no.
The whole thing is fraught with danger for me but the alternative is worse.
Are you still going to any classes or meetings?
this sounds wonderful. the eye contact thing isn't too much of a problem, a little goes a long way. What language are you thinking of? Is it an in person class that's the best? excited for you.
I still have my language exchange partners each week for an hour on skype and we are getting pretty good! the shyness at first, I overcame with a simple children's books and trying to read aloud and listen to my partner read the same lines and then we could have small conversations about what we read. it didn't matter what the subject was, just the ability to communicate and practice that. Spanish is one of the easiest languages.
oh , yes. will look for that.
I have a Joan Miro print rolled up somewhere.