Me

I think I've mentioned before that I signed up for the endurance running program at the Y.  The coach set up a Yahoo group and we use it for email distribution purposes.  You can send out invitations for runs, pose questions to the masses, or make casual observations about our sanity or fashion choices.  There's also a shared calendar where you post your upcoming races.  This way we can all support each other with our goals.  I've joined a few group runs, and chatted with some of the runners by email.

Last night was the end of season social at a pizza/bar/grill place near the Y.  There were quite a few people whose names I had seen in emails but hadn't had the opportunity to hook up with for a run yet.  It was a lot of fun seeing people I had met before but this time we weren't all sweaty, stinky and unkempt.  And I got to meet people I only knew by name.  It was a lot of fun.

For the first time in a long time I felt like I was in a community.  I was myself.  Not someone's mother.  Not someone's wife.  Not someone's co-worker.  But just me.  I could be myself.  I'm slowly getting back some of my social skills and learning how to chat and make new friends.  It's not that I've been isolated.  Just going to work, shlepping kids to daycare and their friends' parties, doing family stuff.  I was neglecting to make my own connections outside of all that.  It feels really good to be able to step out on my own.  And with the added benefit of being around people who don't give a second thought to running at 5:30 am when it's 17 degrees out, or running long enough to burn 2300 calories - all for fun and the joy of being outside.  We know we are crazy and we happily accept others to join us.