Today I got a call from a former co-worker. I left that job a little over two years ago and, as I've shared here, have found myself feeling very lonely and isolated. I've joked (and sometimes been serious) about feeling the need to take out an ad in the newspaper, "Wanted: Friends!" I'm a social beast and have found that my isolation has had a negative impact on my creativity. This one phone call has changed my mood so much for the better.
Mary is a remarkable person. While she has been single for some time and her grown children have moved away, she has remained very socially active. I have always envied her theatre group, book club, quilting retreats and fabric runs with friends. I have allowed having a family and NOT having an outside job to consume all of my time and have not pursued friendships or outside activities. Today Mary called just to chat. We talked about my struggle with isolation. She told me that another former co-worker is now joining her at her home on Sundays to learn to quilt, inviting me to join them for crafty time, lunch out, and then more crafty time.
While it may seem a simple thing or something that everyone else on the planet does routinely, getting together socially at the invitation of another is a big deal to me. I wish I were able to engage face to face with my cyber friends and distant friends and can't help but think that my happier mood will have some impact on my creativity. We'll see!
