Social Life

One of the main struggles wifey and I have had is separating our social events from the small group that Praise Team has evolved into. That separation means consciously engaging folks, and making new friends, that are outside the Praise Team. Last night was one of those events, and it was a great evening for all.

We have been trying to hold regular campfires in the backyard this summer. There have been several, and last night was the latest installment. Present were Tracy (of Thursdays With Tracy fame) and family, and our friends Shawn and Erika & family. These families had never met, but both wifey and I had the feeling that it would work, and it really did. Throughout the evening there were several connections between the two that no one expected. We had great discussions, and lots of laughter.

For me the recent revelation was the importance of spreading out our social connections. When we face changes in life, such as moving on from the current musical engagement at church, we have to be prepared for the social implications that will come along with the decision. For the last few years, our social lives have not only been almost exclusively with friends from our church, but specifically with friends from Praise Team. This adds considerably to the stress of making changes. Since some of the folks will ever understand or accept our reasons for moving on, we do not expect the social connection to remain so strong after we leave. Therefore if we are unprepared in advance for this gaping hole of social activities, the decision becomes all the harder.

So, I will fall back to the Boy Scout in me, and just Be Prepared all the time. We never know what God will hand us, and we never know the reaction of our friends will have to those events. Make sure that you always have a circle of true friends, and you will be immune to the ebb and flow that will naturally occur in life as we progress through this Earthly Vale of Tears.