The First Goals: Connection with the outside world

My first post was supposed to be yesterday, but a tornado came through at the time I was working on it, so I became rather busy and then the power went out. Thus, today's post is the first.

None of this has anything to do with the turning of the new year. Actually, this is part of a project that started on November 14, 2010. Something happened that day, I'm still not sure what, but it set me off on a journey that I expect to occupy me for the rest of my life. I suddenly had two goals: to develop 3 social groups in the real world and to establish a daily physical activity. Nothing I had read or heard led to the formation of these goals, they just sprang fully formed into my head that day. I realized I was completely isolated, withdrawn inside the walls of our apartment, never venturing forth.

I began to seek company. That very day, I visited the Episcopal Church of the Ascension and asked about singing in the choir. I hadn't sung in over 20 years. I hadn't gone to a church in all that time, either. I've been what could charitably be described as an agnostic. I was recieved with open arms and friendly faces, and I've been going since. That was my first social group.

The second social group consists of my neighbors here at our apartment complex. I've been conducting a campaign of Strategically Deployed Treats, taking little tasty things to share with people with whom I've been friendly in the past. It has begun to have results, so I'm going to keep it up.

The third social group hasn't formally assembled yet, but it's in the works. My husband and I are going to get back into role-playing games with a group of people he knows from work and their friends. I haven't gamed since my divorce from my first husband, but I am looking forward to it. The mechanics and minutia of the games no longer hold much appeal to me, but being around creative people does.

The regular physical activity hasn't happened yet, but it will. What I would like to do is go to the Payne Center on campus, to do water aerobics. That's something I would find fun, so I would do it. It will require an investment of money in an alumni membership, but that's something that would increase committment. And there are other activities I could do as a member, so it would just foster more movement. I'm not going to be able to do anything about that idea until after January; I could always start walking in the mean time. Motivation often follows action, and I think I am almost ready to take the jump.

That's everything about my original goals and my progress. The next post will be about my second set of goals.