Went to a cool Halloween party last night. The hosts had some great food and we listened to spooky music and watched scary movies while we hung out. I re-used my costume from last year since Slenderman wasn’t party friendly – and I won a prize! Super cool.
We tried a Ouija board, but couldn’t get it to work and then posed for a group photo. There were spooky stories and clever costumes – it was a great way to spend Halloween night.
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I’ve been reading a couple of good books – “Furiously Happy” by Jenny Lawson and “Machine Man” by Max Barry. Jenny Lawson tells about her mental illness and the furiously happy ways she tries to deal with it and live with it. The main character in Machine Man has a different set of emotional problems – but though both books are radically different, they both look at social anxiety. I do okay in social circumstances and I’m not really anxious about them anymore, but I never quite feel natural.
Whatever that means.
I know what to say, how to say it, and usually when to say it – but it takes some effort and thought. And there’s the little nagging fear that I’m going to say something odd or inappropriate.
Which is a very real concern. I mean, have you seen the inside of my head? It’s all odd or inappropriate or just downright weird.
I marvel at some of my friends that so easily interact with people. They don’t seem to ever have strangers – striking up conversations fluidly and making friends with no more effort, it seems, than me folding a paper crane.
Or maybe it just looks easy. Maybe it’s just a matter of practice. It’s worth the effort, though, and I am getting better.
Case in point: I ran into a former co-worker at the grocery store. We had a nice chat standing in the aisle and got caught up a bit. When we were done and I started to walk away, I saw Jim running his own errands. So, I introduced them and they shared a friendly hello. So, casual conversations and an introduction? Bonus points! I may have just Leveled Up.
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I got some spam on my blog today day that – in addition to trying to get me to click a link for a handbag – also suggested that my theme was boring and I could do better.
Now, I know I could have any theme and it would have said the same thing – it’s just pseudo-conversation to fool the filters – but it was still rude. I like my extra blank theme and an uncluttered website is frankly a little refreshing.
It wasn’t the only insult of the day though. The Ladies from New York called me up on their cell phone and asked if I would come over and help install their new home phone. When I got there, the Elder said,
“You got fat!”
Now, that’s bullshit – clearly. I would like to be a little more solid in the midsection, but I’m not fat or even heavy.
Knowing that neither of them have any real filters, I shrugged it off, did a little flex, and said that I preferred “solid”.
I sat down and the Younger indicated my midsection and commented on my belly again. This went on for a bit – in what I’m hoping was a good-natured manner – but I started to tire of it.
“Now,” I said, gently chiding them, “You know I’m here to help you out,”
They laughed and I got to work on setting up the phone. I had the new phone plugged in and in place in 10 minutes and programmed in another 2 – would have taken then hours or days, I’m guessing.
I declined the soda and we chatted for a bit before I headed out.
I guess no matter how big your ego gets, trust two little old ladies from New York to take you down a peg.