Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Reverb11 - Day 20 - Gatherings and Friends

#1 Prompt: Gathering:  What was your favorite party or gathering (large or small) in 2011?  Who would you like to gather with in 2012?

#2 Prompt: Friendship - What kind of a friend were you in 2011? What kind of a friend do you want to be in 2012?

#1 -- There are a couple of gatherings that always feel extra special: anytime my Redding friend L and I get together for lunch or tea or chocolate and just to enjoy talking with each other, and when we go to brunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Los Mariachis, with our long-time friends, neighbors and mentors, T&G. (There were many others, all good fun and pleasant, especially doing lunch at Tremont and just hanging together with another friend, L.)

The best large gathering was the Red Bluff Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, even though I was part of the cast. It was such a party for our guests, from the old cars and picket lines outside the Elks Club to the speakeasy atmosphere inside, and then to the dinner and show.  There was good food, plenty of wine, and if the plot was a little thin, the comedy bits made up for it. 

In 2012, I'd like to expand our circle of friends and the opportunity to learn more about them in a relaxed setting, and to spend more time with some current friends too, also in a fun setting. That's going to mean we need to be more proactive about seeking such contact, and get over my need to have everything so 'perfect' when I have people here. I can do that!

#2 -- Well, this sort of ties into the above prompt, doesn't it!  Yeah. That need to have everything just so in order to entertain people here is something I need to dump. If someone is judging my housekeeping or cooking skills, then do I really want them around anyway? 

I deepened a couple of friendships this year, and  let another couple go into the past tense (mostly). In 2012 I'd like to continue those friendships and invite some new ones into my life too, and that means making an effort to be with them. 

Over the past two years of doing Reverb, I have become more aware that I simply do not want to be around people -- even some friends -- who make me feel like I need to keep my mouth shut when I'm with them, and not to discuss certain topics lest they cause a heated conversation that will result in hurt feelings. I'm very willing to expand my knowledge and keep an open mind in discussion, but I don't want to be around abrasive people who ARE *RIGHT*, dammit. I'm going to work on letting those go, or at the least, reducing my contact.

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