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?
Try not to overthink it. Focus on the good things of going, i.e getting out, meeting someone, making a friend.
There's so many positives!
Amerantin (former member) said:But I have to do it because you’re Right, I have everything to gain.
This is what I thought when I started doing groups. I was so anxious at first, I still get that anxiety but I'm so glad I went that first time.
oh , yes. will look for that.
I have a Joan Miro print rolled up somewhere.
There’s a class starting on January 10th that I really should join. I have a bit of an anxiety attack when I think about it though.
But I have to do it because you’re Right, I have everything to gain.
I've just remembered as I'm typing this that you don't like loud music. Maybe you can just read the lyrics instead.
Thank you.
I just read the lyrics.
I have a copy of Picasso's Guernica in my study but it's rather smaller than the original
Manic Street Preachers- My GuernicaI've just remembered as I'm typing this that you don't like loud music. Maybe you can just read the lyrics instead.
I’ve been to Spain *lots* of times. Been to Valencia too. I used to think it would be good to retire there one day but I’ve given up on that idea.
Uhane said:have you ever been on the Compostela de Santiago
I have answered you on an old thread of mine re travelling so as not to hijack this one
Ah.. what a lovely journey. I am promising myself a nice long trip to someplace after I can get settled again. Now I will have to add these places to my list. To Spain by boat, how wonderful!
have you ever been on the Compostela de Santiago?
Uhane said:Spain is so close to you. a winter in Valencia. ah.. I would love to return to Spain
I was just thinking that Scotland isn't THAT close to Spain and then I remembered that you live in Hawaii and changed my mind
I have only been to northern Spain.
I stayed with my niece when she was living in Zaragoza and also my friend took me by boat and car from Portsmouth to Bilbao.
We then drove to Guernica and explored some of the coast by day.
I also saw the reproduction of Picasso's painting of Guernica - wonderful but very affecting.
The place that abides in my memory is San Juan de Gaztelugatxe:
Spain is so close to you. a winter in Valencia. ah.. I would love to return to Spain.
Thanks Nathan, you’ve given me hope! I just need a boost of courage now.
Yeah I go to loads of stuff like that. It's how I met every person in my life, without any exceptions. I typically attend three dance classes a week. On Saturdays I go to parkrun and go swimming with a group. Once a month I go to mathsjam and attend an online writing group. In January I'm doing a course in aerial circus skills. I sometimes go hiking with a group on Sundays.
I work from home and live alone which is how I have enough social energy to do this stuff
The majority of people I meet through these activities started attending them alone.
I genuinely don't know how it would be possible to connect with another adult without doing this kind of thing. I guess some people have colleagues?
I'm interested in learning Spanish. I always try to pick some language when i visit a place and Spanish seems like a very straightforward language.
How did you find an autistic board game group?
cafes, that is.
My go-to spot too.
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.
great try: getting to the meetup. they do tend to narrow down. Is there a possibility of starting another meeting with the same group? Perhaps there's other opportunities like that. What are your special interests?
detecting, fossils, biographies.. maybe a group interest. Do you feel you could start a group, your self?
Computer science then computational neuroscience.
I used to think I only made it to the end out of sheer stubbornness but now I think I just didn’t know what else to do.