On the Party at the Home of the Folks Who Are Baha'i: Cure for Bad Moods:

"Card Games," uploaded on December 27, 2006 by aabbbiee on flickr

Whateverman's Pad is a blog "where reality and perception meet." I like that description. -gw

I've been in a pretty black mood for a couple of months. There's so much going through my head, and I've thought about trying to spit it into this blog since I began it. But I realized that to keep the whole thing moving, I need to be a bit more pragmatic.

So, this last weekend, my Sis dragged me to a dinner party she'd convinced me to attend a few weeks back. I'm a bit of a loner, so the idea of going to meet a bunch of strangers didn't sound immediately appealing. But my sister has always needed me more than I was willing to give, and I've grown more and more aware of that as I've gotten older. So, coupled with the self-imposed guilt, and the fact that I know I need to get out more, I figured this party would help kill 2 birds with one stone.

Anyhoo, it was a really eccelctic crowd, mostly made up of couples: two people in their 50s that Kris really likes (it was their house), a pair of young kids who had just gotten married, a couple in their mid thirties (re. my age), and an older professorial guy. Most taught in the local school system, some were musicians, some dabbled in software development. They all brought food from around the world: phillipino, north african, greek, spanish, etc. The folks who owned the house were Baha'i, so it was an alchohol-free evening, though there were 3 kinds of coffee and a great fresh ginger punch. The house was full of hardwood and large windows - the open fireplace made it seem pretty darned cozy.

The conversation ranged from cooking, to politics, sex, the local school system and the current problems with the kids at that age, how to raise children, how to be creative, etc. Everyone was really friendly and open. After dinner, someone called us into the living room saying "Now we're going to play a game" - I'll be honest and say that my first thought wasn't overly enthusiastic. Still, it was a laid back card game, and ended up being the highlight of the night.

I came home, and have to say that I felt pretty ... "peaceful" after it was over. I've got stuff that keeps me freaking out, but that party, and meeting new people, and having fun with strangers - those were skills I wasn't certain I had any more. And to find out that I fit in as normally as anyone else there - well, it cleared ... my head.

Whateverman, "It's the Little Things," Whateverman's Pad

{Re-posted with permission}