More activities...Irene invited me to comedy night at a local restaurant this Wed. night and I'm going to go. I'm scared, but I have to take my own advice that I gave to Meghan (a few posts back on this thread) that the more I go out and do things, the less anxiety I'll have. I also found a once a month crochet and knitting group that I'm going to attend. It's on the second Thursday of each month, in the evening, in the next town. I think I went to that group years ago and the ladies were nice. I think they asked me to teach someone how to crochet and then wanted me to teach everyone Tunisian crochet and all I really wanted to do was knit and socialize. So, I'm just going to state that politely from day one, if asked. I don't want to go to work, I just want to go and relax :) So, there are two new things I'm doing this week and next week. Along with the Amish Market on Saturday mornings. I'm not scared...I'm excited! :)
I wonder how many people, in Canada especially remember the "Bennett Buggy" Amish couldn't do this because they can't have rubber tires. (Inflated rubber tires that is)
P.S. From my previous post re: Pigeons...oops! I meant to say that Pigeons are almost the size of BANTAM (smaller) Chickens, not Standard sized Chickens - good grief, could you imagine the cities with Pigeons that large on the loose? It reminds me of the Flintstones movie where everyone scrambled when they saw a Pterodactyl circling above their heads. I thought they were afraid of being eaten, but then the real reason was revealed, it "dropped a bomb" on the whole town. Sometimes you can have a day that feels like that, but hopefully not that often :)
You are my best friend, I swear, you made me laugh so hard and give me joy and make me happy. I literally laughed for 20 minutes about not being able to find an Amish Person with car anxiety. You are too much - thank you for your humor, you always put me in a good mood. Maybe that's my problem, I need to convert to being Amish. I know some Amish try to get out and I wonder if some "English" try to get in. Well, I just know I wouldn't want to be shunned either way, so for now, I'll stick with my career of puppy hugger :) You need to make a bet with me where I can win the bet of coffee and buns, because I still wish I could have some :)
I'm so excited about going to the Amish Market and I am so focused on the cute puppies I will see, that I don't have car anxiety anymore. My thoughts have automatically shifted to the anticipation of fun and not anxiety. I am thankful to everyone on this site and the program, because it gave me my life back. It's been almost 3 years without panic and I can't believe, before I found this site, that a ten minute drive up the road seemed impossible. I'm starting to see the me, I used to be, before I ever had anxiety. It's been a long haul and a lot of hard work, but it is paying off immeasurably. Thanks everyone!
I'm inspired to hear all of the steps your taking to truly enjoy life and gain new experiences and meet new people along the way. Your positivity and joy shine through your posts!
Thank you for sharing.
Meghan,
Having a goal and pursuing things that bring you happiness is the perfect place to start. As Shari suggested, take it slow and become familiar with the environment. I think this will help in overcoming your fears!
I think that's a great idea you have. No need to rush, you can take your time and work up to it. You could take it in steps. You could go and just walk around and look at the dogs and leave. Then, when you are comfortable doing that, you can go and just start with walking one dog and then progressively walk more. Sometimes when you are helping others, whether it be people or animals, and you are doing it for them, it's easier to overcome fears, because you are focusing on helping and not anxiety. The more you do this, the less anxiety you will have. You're doing a great job!
That all sounds really great. It's also very inspiring to those of us who are still trying to get there. You gave me an idea. I also need to get out more and the local shelter where I got my pup is always need volunteers to come walk the dogs and show them some love. It's about 20 minutes away from my home. It's something I thought about doing before, but avoided because of fears. It may still take me a while to work up to that, but now I have a new goal. :)
I'm so glad you found something every week to look forward to. You seem really happy.
Decision made - I'm making my life better in Maryland. I met with Irene and she is introducing me into her circle of friends and we are doing more things together. I found one thing a week that makes me happy and that I look forward to which is going to the Amish Market on Saturday mornings and hugging all of the puppies and getting puppy kisses. And, socializing with the other puppy lovers there :) And, I love the Amish families. It makes me happy. It makes my life exciting and it's the same feeling I had when I was a child and would go horse back riding on Saturday mornings at Camp Black Rock. So, I've found one thing to look forward to. It's also a nice drive in the county; it's 20 minutes away and it's an outdoor market, so I enjoy the fresh air, whether it's cold or not :) George is also going with me and we stopped for coffee and a donut :) Oh! Forgot to mention that I finally saw Pigeons at the Amish Market and they are HUGE! I thought they'd be small birds, but they are almost the size of standard Chickens. At one time, I thought about racing Pigeons as a hobby, but good grief, I wouldn't want to clean the aviary with a bird that big - ha ha :) Things are looking up. I'm getting social and finding fun things to do and my life is happier and I am less stressed. Life is good, it just takes awhile to get there sometimes :) Will let you know of other activities I get involved with. I need a few more, but I'm off to a great start!
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Shari
