Friends

"Friends and good manners will carry you where money won't go." ~Margaret Walker

 Life is always so interesting, but even more so when you have the opportunity to meet folks from all over with different interests and backgrounds than your own.  If you don't have the good fortune to be plopped down in the middle of a new city in a foreign country like me, look around where you live and make an effort to find the people outside your personal realm of comfort and habit.  I promise you won't be disappointed! 

Look in meet up groups, online, at hobby and interest group meetings, in stores, in classes,  through social media, at libraries, at your kid's school, at work, at your favorite sports events, churches, social functions, even right next door.  Try to set aside your personal biases, if you even know what they are.  When I look around, it's amazing how many people don't extend themselves beyond their comfort zones.

Years ago, I had a Welcome Wagon lady come to my house in Petaluma, CA to invite me to some meetings.  She said an interesting thing, "If you don't put yourself out there and make an effort, no one will ever know what a terrific person you are."  I wasn't so convinced that I was all that terrific, but I did recycle her bit of wisdom into a more worthy assertion.  I figured that  "If I don't put myself out there, I might not meet and  know so many other terrific people".  Just something to think about.