Thursday, December 1, 2011

Even though we’re going to talk about social health tonight, don’t for a moment think this was intentional and that I had prepared a “theme of the week” or some such malarky. Let me disabuse you of this notion immediately. If this shit were actually planned out, we would’ve ended years ago, because such practiced discipline for a blog would be as sustainable as a wood-burning Prius.

While physical health seems to be on the ascendant, only one adjective will suffice for my social well-being: stalled. Most of my time outside of work is spent with people from work, which isn’t a negative in and of itself. I don’t regret a minute of it, frankly, but there’s this compulsion to diversify, whether wrongheaded or not, and on this front I am deficient. I was secretly holding a torch for the alumni association. If such associations are designed to foster goodwill toward the alma mater, however, then something went terribly, terribly awry along the way.

It hasn’t all been for naught, of course. It’s the skills, as always, that have been invaluable. Better capacity for social situations. Heightened proficiency at small talk. Improved articulation on the phone. All things that, had I not continued down this path, would’ve eluded me entirely. But it’s time to cut my losses and look elsewhere. It’s back to the drawing board.