About a year ago, I wrote a post on loneliness. I learned that going it mostly alone sucks. Even I get tired of my company and I think I am brilliant…sometimes. I was walking around with a ‘bubble’ up, a little barrier of “don’t talk to me” all over my body language.
It sucks in that bubble.
So What Do I Do?
So I stepped out of it to find many people at church willing to meet me halfway. I’m not a huggy person,still not really; however, I’m much more comfortable with them. I have to be, everyone hugs everyone it seems. Sometimes I will even hug someone.
It’s not a bad thing outside the bubble. Especially with the holidays that just ended. Many lonely people during that time and for once, I was not one of them. I had gained friends.
On top of that, the confidence to hold conversations with people I do not really know grew. I could talk to the ladies in the nursery about how good the fudge from Kilwins is. At the church’s winter festival, Christmas Lane, I served and spoke with a family working on the same team. The oldest daughter was trying to give away her little brother. After it was all over, I sat comfortably listening to Pastor Rod telling us the behind the scenes bloopers of a sermon video involving the pie-face game.
Before, I would have been looking for the door. People seem more willing to open up to me oddly enough considering my mostly expressionless face. I am also more willing to reach out to my hurting friends. Someone I know is around every corner, it seems.
If I can give you one takeaway from this, it is this:
Meet someone and listen.
Repeat.
Your willingness to listen to them will make them more willing to listen to you.
A Ronin's Journey 