Go outside your circle

This past weekend, I went on a women’s prayer retreat with my mom and three sisters. The weekend consisted of speakers, individual reflection time, small group discussions, crafts, and it wouldn’t have been complete without the door prizes.
The estrogen level was high in the conference center we stayed in as I joined 60 other women in a time of learning, praying and worshipping. It was a blessing to be there, not just for the brownie a la mode deserts at meal times or fun little gifts that were handed out every 15 minutes, but for the time of genuine fellowship.
At Georgia College & State University I spend the majority of my time with my peers. Only when I go home on occasional weekends do I have the opportunity to spend quality time with people outside my age group. This retreat was incredibly special to me because I was able to spend time with women ranging in age from 18 to late sixties. It was so interesting to me to listen to the older women speak about their life experiences, from marriage to parenting to work to their relationships with God. I spent the weekend enveloping myself in their stories, finding myself struck with awe at the things they have experienced in their lifetimes. Some of the women I met this past weekend saw loved ones leave the U.S. to fight in WWII. Others had husbands who fought in the Vietnam War. Still others have experienced the sadness of losing a husband or child.
One of the older ladies I had the joy of meeting told me that once, on a trip to Hawaii, she and her husband rode a helicopter into a volcano. Talk about an out of the ordinary experience! Another woman who I talked to said that she is turning 40 this year, so she has decided to celebrate all year long by randomly doing fun things, such as going on a hot air balloon ride.
From serious to light-hearted topics, these ladies impressed upon me the importance of living life to its fullest every day, and that as we get older there is no need to stop experiencing all of the excitement and joy life has to offer. It was refreshing to spend time with people that had been through so much more than me, so that I could learn from them and be encouraged by their passion for life.
This past weekend made me reflect on the importance of spending time with a variety of people. If we stay within the comfort of our cliques until we graduate, or even beyond graduation, we are at risk for becoming very shallow and underdeveloped individuals. Think of how much more well-rounded we would all be if we made the effort to build friendships with people who are older, who are of a different ethnicity, who were raised in countries or a different part of the U.S., who were raised with a different belief system or who are interested in different hobbies. Relationships allow you to learn from other people’s backgrounds and experiences, and for other people to learn from you. Don’t cheat yourself or others out of the amazing gift of growing as a person through inspiring, challenging or simply entertaining one another with stories from your past.
GC&SU students, faculty and staff, I encourage you this week to get out of your comfort zone and introduce yourself to someone outside your social circle. From a student you don’t know well in your classes, to a fellow colleague, to someone in your church, to a person in the community you find interesting, I challenge you to strike up a conversation. You never know, you may just end up making a lifelong friend.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 13 2004. Filed under Other. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry