Typically, social anxiety is something I rarely experience. There may have been a few times where I was thrown into a social situation where I was very uncomfortable. But it wasn’t intolerable.

Learning About Social Anxiety

A few years back at one of the first retreats after COVID lockdowns, I learned a valuable lesson about people different than me.

As guys checked in at the retreat, they wore masks and provided a negative COVID test result. We also took their temperature. One of my favorite attendees arrived for check-in and I was thrilled to see him. I greeted him with my normal energy and enthusiasm. His reaction surprised me. He asked if he could sit down in a quiet place for a while to get over a bout of debilitating anxiety. I didn’t expect that. This was a guy who seemed confident, secure and joyful about life. Why would he possibly be anxious? Especially in a group of guys so loving, supportive and accepting?

For those of you who may have similar experiences, I’m sure you understand it perfectly. And I do too now. But it was a novel and completely foreign idea to me back then. I came to realize that any kind of anxiety has little to do with how confident or popular you might be. Anyone could struggle with it.

Even me.

It’s definitely not debilitating, but I am feeling anxious about meeting a new group of people next month. I’m definitely missing some of the advantages I have at the Men’s Knitting Retreats. I’m not the leader. I haven’t established myself with most of the group. To this group, I’m not anyone special.

I’m also going to need to present to this group. So I feel I need to establish some level of credibility.

I’m sure I’ll do just fine…I’ll rely on my historic self-confidence. As Dan (BrewerGnome) called it, “gay audacity” will get me through.

Current Knitting

Thank you to all who offered advice on yarn-craft workshops. I was considering trying to teach a crochet workshop on this.

There’s a large bear culture at Easton Mountain and I thought this was cute. But I think LauraRose is right to avoid shaping for an intro workshop. And Jen A’s idea of a cup sleeve/cozy sounds like a perfect idea. Something like this.

I’ll hopefully teach them how to make this simple tube and also let them customize it with their own Daisy Loom flower if they have time to play with that gadget. I’ve ordered a couple more plastic “Daisy Looms” so multiple guys can make flowers as well.

I’ve got a lot going on right now, but I was still able to make it to the next section of the Aurora Cabin Shawl.

I finished the garter-ridge section and started the second slip-stitch/mosaic section. I’m up to over 380 stitches per row now, so I’m slowing down some.