New friends | The Qwiet Muse

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind for me, I’m a little overwhelmed in many ways. I ventured into the cyber world further than I ever thought I would and have made some amazing connections. Some of which I can already tell will bloom into more than passing acquaintances, I’ve found a few kindred spirits and friendships have began to blossom.

It is strange and amazing and I am thankful for it all, but still . . . It is new and maybe a little bit scary.

I am doing my best to embrace this new aspect of my life, I actually think I am doing quite well with it all, but there is a part of me that just wants to crawl back into my little cave and shut tight the door behind me, locking up all the little locks I use to keep the world from coming in.

I’m not going to, not today, hopefully not ever. If I do retreat, and I likely will, it will hopefully only be for short spells when I need to reflect, rejuvenate, and catch my breath.

I’ve been given an opportunity to expand my corner of the world, to branch out and see what there is to see beyond my own horizon. It’s beautiful and vast, parts of it I cannot wait to explore and other parts I already know will remain distant territory I will not be journeying to.

These new people I am encountering — some of them are so very different from me, yet with each one, despite these differences, there is a single thread somewhere in our own unique tapestries which sort of weave us together.

There is part of me feeling so far out of not just my comfort zone, but my league. I am reading the words these weavers of thought create and I find myself thinking, wow, I wish I could do that, and then one of them will comment and say, I love what you’ve written, I wish I could do that, and I am left in a state of shock and amazement.

I haven’t yet figured out how to manage my time and my energies, new projects are being presented to me, all of which I want to accept with a resounding, Yes! I would love to contribute! But how to choose and when to find time enough to dedicate just the right amount of me to these things is tricky.

Baby steps. I have to simply take baby steps.

Thanks for keeping me company as I find my way.

Crystal R. Cook

If we were having coffee you would probably wonder who the heck I am. I would smile and ask you to pass the cream and the sugar and sit in awkward silence while I stirred a little wooden stick in my cup.

After a sip or two I might attempt to introduce myself, hopefully you would initiate the conversation though. I can be the teensiest bit socially reserved and ever so slightly shy. I’m not really shy, the sometimes awkwardly reserved part just gets in the way — at first.

I would tell you having company with my coffee is new, I typically sit by myself, but lately I am intrigued by the company I could be keeping, so I’ve decided to step outside of my bubble and join you.

Thank you for not switching tables.

If we were having coffee I would tell you all about the people I’m certain you already know, and if you don’t you should, who quite unknowingly reached inside my bubble and gently pulled me out. It all started with Lizzi. She kind of rocked my world some time ago and changed it by engaging me in conversation, by unconditionally offering her friendship. I kind of love her for that.

By now, I would be ordering another cuppa coffee and prattling on about life, love, writing, my children and the amazing happenstance that brought me here, #1000speak, you’ve heard of it, right? Of course you have, but if you hadn’t I would wait while you looked it up.

I would tell you I’m not much of a joiner, at least I haven’t been, but this whole voices for compassion movement moved me and now I am becoming a joiner. I would tell you I became a reluctant Twitterer, I joined a couple of blogging groups and I came out for coffee, with you.

You might not think these are very big things, but believe me they are bigger than I am accustomed to.

So Lizzi led me to #1000Speak, which led me to Twitter where GeneO the Sourcerer gave me a shout out and now, here I sit, having coffee with you.

If we were having coffee I would tell you it’s been one heck of a week full of new people I feel rather blessed to have found . . .

Crystal R. Cook