She had been raving about it for weeks. I figured I should try it. I like taking an interest in the things that important to the people I care about. It helps me understand them better and sometimes helps me understand myself better. For example, I'll go shopping for shoes and clothes if it means I'm going to get to spend time with someone I care about and learn more about their tastes and how they think. You'd be surprised how much you can learn about someone just by taking the time and putting forth a little effort.
"You don't want to go."
"Of course, I want to go. If I didn't, I wouldn't have brought it up, repeatedly."
"But you never go."
"I never go to lots of places without other people." This was true. I started going to the gym in college because my friend and roommate started going - it became the thing to do. I would go to dinner with the people in my dorm because it was fun. I joined Spanish Club in high school because I was following my friend into the room. I wasn't even in Spanish class. I've been told it's because I have extroverted tendencies, but I think it's just because I like being around my friends, and can have fun doing almost anything with them. I bought an X Box and Gamecube because my friends and I used to play video games all the time. When I stopped hanging out with them, though, I stopped playing video games. I don't think I've used either console in about a year. This is not to say that I do things that I don't like merely to please others - it's an important distinction and one that I consciously make daily. I like playing video games. I like going to the gym, I still go today, even by myself. It's just, for me, many things are often better shared.
I go to certain activities never knowing what to expect. I figure it's better not to have high or low expectations about certain things, and to just allow them to unfold as everything progresses. I think if you go into something with a positive attitude, it often helps lead to a positive experience. Although, some events cannot be salvaged no matter how positive your attitude might be.
I showed up a little early. Parking was crazy. I had never seen such a turnout. There were parking attendants directing traffic and just an ocean of cars. Good thing I was a little early! Were they going to be giving away door prizes? Was there an early bird special? This seemed to be the place where everyone who was anyone was going to show up this night.
The speaker was unexpected. Not that there was one, of course, but the identity of the person. Apparently, the usual speaker was on vacation. She wouldn't be pleased, I was sure - to come all this way and for the divine orator to not be there. I, fortunately, had nothing to compare our substitute to, and was equally satisfied with this speaker as the hypothetical amazing one that I had heard so much about.
"So did you like it?"
"Yeah, I really did." Two hours, minimum, of discourse ensued. Plus an additional hour of listening to a recording of the fantastic orator I had heard so much about. I could see why she felt a little disappointed at his not being there tonight.
It was really an amazing experience. I think I will definitely be going back. It's not like this had been my first time going to church, but it had been the first time I had gone where I felt really just happy and enthused after having been there. Having someone I cared about with me, with whom I could share thoughts and ideas and could discuss the experience with after, certainly didn't hurt either.
"You don't want to go."
"Of course, I want to go. If I didn't, I wouldn't have brought it up, repeatedly."
"But you never go."
"I never go to lots of places without other people." This was true. I started going to the gym in college because my friend and roommate started going - it became the thing to do. I would go to dinner with the people in my dorm because it was fun. I joined Spanish Club in high school because I was following my friend into the room. I wasn't even in Spanish class. I've been told it's because I have extroverted tendencies, but I think it's just because I like being around my friends, and can have fun doing almost anything with them. I bought an X Box and Gamecube because my friends and I used to play video games all the time. When I stopped hanging out with them, though, I stopped playing video games. I don't think I've used either console in about a year. This is not to say that I do things that I don't like merely to please others - it's an important distinction and one that I consciously make daily. I like playing video games. I like going to the gym, I still go today, even by myself. It's just, for me, many things are often better shared.
I go to certain activities never knowing what to expect. I figure it's better not to have high or low expectations about certain things, and to just allow them to unfold as everything progresses. I think if you go into something with a positive attitude, it often helps lead to a positive experience. Although, some events cannot be salvaged no matter how positive your attitude might be.
I showed up a little early. Parking was crazy. I had never seen such a turnout. There were parking attendants directing traffic and just an ocean of cars. Good thing I was a little early! Were they going to be giving away door prizes? Was there an early bird special? This seemed to be the place where everyone who was anyone was going to show up this night.
The speaker was unexpected. Not that there was one, of course, but the identity of the person. Apparently, the usual speaker was on vacation. She wouldn't be pleased, I was sure - to come all this way and for the divine orator to not be there. I, fortunately, had nothing to compare our substitute to, and was equally satisfied with this speaker as the hypothetical amazing one that I had heard so much about.
"So did you like it?"
"Yeah, I really did." Two hours, minimum, of discourse ensued. Plus an additional hour of listening to a recording of the fantastic orator I had heard so much about. I could see why she felt a little disappointed at his not being there tonight.
It was really an amazing experience. I think I will definitely be going back. It's not like this had been my first time going to church, but it had been the first time I had gone where I felt really just happy and enthused after having been there. Having someone I cared about with me, with whom I could share thoughts and ideas and could discuss the experience with after, certainly didn't hurt either.
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