It's important for me to develop relationships outside the office. Workmates are fun and all, but when push comes to shove and you no longer have work in common, the relationship ends. Not all of them, granted, but enough of them that not looking beyond the office is unhealthy.
Last spring/summer, I started small. The transition of moving, and leaving behind literally everything that was familiar, was much harder than I expected. I wasn't in the frame of mine to turn my world upside down anymore than it had been. Nor was I comfortable in this new space I found myself. So I joined a softball team one of my workmates put together. I knew no one else then, so I was glad to at least have a workmate. I met some of his friends, some other people and some good friendships have grown from that. We're roommates now!
In the fall, things had settled enough that I needed to do something different. I got a little more courageous and got myself on a dodgeball team. Through a Facebook group, of all things. This time, though, I knew no one. I also didn't have a way of introduction or method of getting to games other than transit. Softball I could at least carpool with my workmate. The first couple games were a little rough, but after that, smooth sailing. I rejoined the team for the current season.
This summer, I've gotten more courageous. While I am on the same softball team, though with different players and what so far seems to be a really good, fun group, I completely left my sports comfort zone and joined an ultimate frisbee team.
I have played many sports since my youth. Soccer. Competitive swimming. Gymnastics. T-ball. Horse back riding. Basketball. Tae Kwon Do. Softball. Field hockey. For a long time I wanted to write for Sports Illustrated so I read up on all the sports I didn't know, like ice hockey and curling. Ultimate frisbee never landed in my sports circle. It never entered the realm of possibility, either reading or playing. Not even in college.
If not for one of my dodgeball teammates asking if I was interested in joining a team, it probably would have stayed that way.
Thanks to expanding my sports comfort zone, and building relationships outside the office, I get to push the sports circle out a bit to encompass ultimate frisbee.
I just have to wrap myself tight tonight lest I further aggravate my injury. Yes, I'm one of those people.
Oh, and in case things go a little quiet, it's because my sports schedule is the following:
*Tuesday: Ultimate game
*Wednesday: Off
*Thursday: Softball game
*Friday: Softball game
*Saturday: Off
*Sunday: Dodgeball playoffs (4-5 hours of dodgeball!)
*Monday: Softball game
*Tuesday: Ultimate game
I do plan on still standing a week from tomorrow.