Let's go back 16 or so years to a time before social media and personal cell phones, to when you had to call a boy or a girl at their house and politely ask if they were home and could come to the phone. Ah the good old days...that was the last time I was on a date! That was also the last time Tim was on a date too :) I have often thought of thoses days while we have been living down here...not becuase I have been feeling nastalgic but because making new friends as an adult is very simlar to dating. I am out of practice and a bit rusty when it comes to meeting new people. Making friends has been difficult. Everyone has been very welcoming and has offered up advice on everything from family activies to the best place to get a coffee to the best place to ski. But the deeper connections are taking longer to find and create.
I thought that making friends when you have kids was going to be easy. Kids are always drawn to each other and therefore I would meet parents along the way. This has been the case but it doesn't often go beyond the park or gymnastics or the swimming pool encounter. What am I doing wrong?, is what I have often thought. My conclusion...I am out of practice when it comes to dating. I am meeting lots of great people but I am not following up. I need to be creating my own opportunites to meet again at the park or the pool. Why don't I ask that mom on a "date"? It is scary...what if I put myself out there and get rejected? I have spent time thinking about this and then I heard a great idea this week on one of my favourite podcats "Sorta Awesome"..ask that person to get together like this "A group of us are going to go to the park (or coffee or on a walk) after the library (or pool or park), want to join us?". Even if that group is only the kids and I, it creates a comfortable casual envronment that is easy to say yes to. This then allows the plesentry conversations to lead to deeper more meaningful conversations and connections. As I think about the opportunites I have this week I have to connect with more moms,
I am still feeling nervous but confient that I will give it a try at least once.
As I continue to challenge myself by moving and acting outside of my comfort zone I know I am growing as a person. Each time I reflect back on a difficult experience or something that may have not gone my way I try to not to be too hard on myself and take these opportunities to learn. I am grateful for the connections that I have made and will continue to make while living in Colorado.