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leftyjewSo my horoscope today (which I only read because it was sitting next to me on the metro) said something like "journaling is a good tool - pick up a pen, write down a problem and brainstorm solutions." So okay, here I go.
Problem:
- I love my Jewish friends. It took me several years to actually develop a good network of close Jewish friends, and to feel comfortable in the Jewish community. That's not a problem. The problem is that I have never in my life been in a space like this and it's warm and wonderful and great, but sometimes it's suffocating and I often feel that I need a breather. I want to develop communities outside of the young adult Jewish world.
Brainstormed Solutions:
1. Look into my other interests - progressive politics, comparative religions, political philosophy, apolitical philosophy, hiking, good beer, dogs, indie/ music, logic puzzles, computer programming - and try to find groups that talk about or do these things.
2. Go to the gym (that would be weird) or take another sort of sport or fitness class/team/club.
3. Take an art class like that pottery class that Maggie is giving me. (check!)
4. Learn an instrument or something like this.
Hm. Looks like all of these attempts to find other communities involve personal growth and expansion. That's pretty interesting. I'm saying "I want to branch out" and my answers are all branching in, as it were. But that makes sense. Here's some less inward-branching answers:
1. Get more involved with my family - notably extended family like my cousins.
2. Travel.
3. Go up to random people on the street and start a conversation (usually not the best answer)
4. Join a commune.
Okay, horoscope, you had your way with me. Now I'm done. Back to work!
Problem:
- I love my Jewish friends. It took me several years to actually develop a good network of close Jewish friends, and to feel comfortable in the Jewish community. That's not a problem. The problem is that I have never in my life been in a space like this and it's warm and wonderful and great, but sometimes it's suffocating and I often feel that I need a breather. I want to develop communities outside of the young adult Jewish world.
Brainstormed Solutions:
1. Look into my other interests - progressive politics, comparative religions, political philosophy, apolitical philosophy, hiking, good beer, dogs, indie/ music, logic puzzles, computer programming - and try to find groups that talk about or do these things.
2. Go to the gym (that would be weird) or take another sort of sport or fitness class/team/club.
3. Take an art class like that pottery class that Maggie is giving me. (check!)
4. Learn an instrument or something like this.
Hm. Looks like all of these attempts to find other communities involve personal growth and expansion. That's pretty interesting. I'm saying "I want to branch out" and my answers are all branching in, as it were. But that makes sense. Here's some less inward-branching answers:
1. Get more involved with my family - notably extended family like my cousins.
2. Travel.
3. Go up to random people on the street and start a conversation (usually not the best answer)
4. Join a commune.
Okay, horoscope, you had your way with me. Now I'm done. Back to work!
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You dont really know who I am but this post intrigued/interested me
Date: 2006-09-07 02:46 pm (UTC)Anyways-
I feel suffocated sometimes as well. I have very close and really wonderful Jewish friends but to help myself not feel that way, I have made a huge attempt to have very close non-Jewish friends as well.
It took me most of college to acquire both sets but I am now greatful that I did. Not only do my non-Jewish friends remind me of what I value about Judaism over all, but we get into very different and interesting discussions about religious differences and outlooks on life.
What can I say, I find those types of discussions very interesting provided that we can all agree to disagree.
In terms of starting conversations with random people. I have actually done that! One of my close (non-Jewish) friends became a friend just because I said hi one day. Although it is not the easiest nor most successful of ideas, it can work sometimes. As long as there is something in common like they are reading something you like or you constantly see them.
Well, I just wanted to share my thoughts/experience.
Have a good day
Re: You dont really know who I am but this post intrigued/interested me
Date: 2006-09-12 06:37 pm (UTC)Re: You dont really know who I am but this post intrigued/interested me
Date: 2006-09-12 07:57 pm (UTC)I have never had one "clique" because it is so interesting to me to have different kinds of friends with different interests and outlooks. It is also fun to cross introduce people :)
This way, you can act differently in different situations and never get into a pattern of a certain behavior.
I definitely value both my Jewish and non-Jewish friends, just in different ways.