Social Obligations

I find myself in a constant state of over-commitment. Every invitation I receive sounds great at the time of reception...but my interest inevitably wanes as the event draws near. So, I find myself either calling to withdraw my reservation...or attending with extremely low expectations of enjoying the event.

Such was the case with a meeting I attended this past weekend. It was an important planning meeting, and my presence was absolutely critical. Initially I had, of course, thought the meeting sounded boring, but the dinner afterward might be a lot of fun. Then, as the day drew closer, I began to dread the entire experience. Who wanted to have dinner with a lot of people who were virtual strangers? What fun would that be...a lot, as it turned out!

We had an exceptional time learning all about our new acquaintances, and free flowing wine lubricated the conversation to a pleasant degree. I now look forward to the conference we gathered to plan...not because of the conference material, but because of the opportunity to spend more time with our new friends.

Perhaps I'll change my pattern when it comes to social obligations...nah!