“Mmmm…coffeee.” (photo and capuccino by Grace Church)
Week #137 – “Grab a coffee!”
I have to be honest…I don’t socialize much.
It’s not because I don’t want to. Between odd working hours, night-owl status, and the love of quiet time — I just don’t get out during the day a whole lot.
And…I’m not too good at it.
Which means I don’t do lunch, coffee, or even happy hour nearly as often as I should!
But this week…someone invited me to coffee. And despite every cell of my being wanting to run home to the next project on my to-do list, I accepted.
And you know what? It was really nice!
Ever notice how really hard it is to make friends as an adult? Everyone is so busy with kids, work, husbands, wives, elderly parents, or soccer/baseball weekends. It leaves very little time for adults to get to know each other.
I don’t even have kids and this is true for me. Many of my adult friends have been made through work. Sweating and stressing side-by-side has a way of bonding people! (You also have the added bonus of learning about people’s character before you venture into social engagement with them!)
Meeting up with an (almost) complete stranger to “grab a coffee” was a challenge. Would I be interesting or funny enough? Would it get too heavy? Would I talk too much? Not enough? Would I ask the right questions? Would we have to talk politics? To be honest…it was uncomfortable.
Which is exactly why I did it!
I work with strangers every day…and have no trouble talking to the random guy on the train, the lady at the grocery store, even getting critical notes on my work. But to sit down and have a conversation just for the hell of it? That’s a whole different thing!
But I’m so glad I did!
Swapping stories with someone about who we are, what we do, how we got here, what we’re working on, and where we’re going — it helped shake up my own perspective. Not just of myself — but others. To spend time listening, engaging, asking questions, and sharing experiences — it not only connected me to another person, it re-connected me to myself.
And that might be the most important coffee date of all!
Your Happyness Challenge for the week ahead: “Grab a coffee!” Find someone this week that you’d like to get to know better — and grab a coffee! It could be a coworker, a neighbor, another parent from school, or a seat mate on your commute home. Yes, it might be awkward…but give it a try! Set a time limit, have some place to go, or only so-much-money in the meter…but don’t back out!
Your invitation, just like mine, might be the only one that person receives in a long time!
Spread Happyness — grab a coffee (or a Jamba Juice as it turned out)! And share your stories in the comments!
4/28/17 by Grace Church
© Grace Church
grace@spreadhappyness.com