Improve my social skills

I’ve doing some computer work and helping to resurrect my horse breeding club. They’re a really lovely buck of people and I’m enjoying catching up with some and getting to know others. I’m trying not to go all OCD and making sure to share put the work. So far, so good, look at me all laid back and stuff.

This is a lot like my last entry, but I’m moving it from a individual thing to another building block for this goal. Hopefully, if I reread these entries, I won’t forget to do this!

A happy person is much easier to socialize with. So, I’m trying to adopt this philosophy to cut down on my obsessive worrying. Plus, being a worrier is only useful if you haven’t already done what you reasonably can to accomplish something. I know it sounds like text book self help 101, but my new mantra of, “It will work out,” is really working for me.

I’m moving this from an individual thing to a social skill subset. It may sound counterintuitive, but taking a strong, self confident stand can actually prevent a lot of conflicts in the future. I’ve had a couple of friends who have several good traits, but become serious users if allowed to.

I’m moving this from an individual thing to part of my social skill set.

The other night, I watched Adam, a film about a fictional Asperger’s sufferer. One of his lines was, “You read each others’ minds!” Right there with you buddy.

Maybe I just set the bar too high or am too afraid of conflict or just not being liked? Constantly censoring yourself is no way to live.

I was in line at the feed store today listening to the pregnant cashier and another customer chat. There was a pause while the lady in front of me searched for the right word, probably baby, maybe fetus.

I piped in, “Parasite?”

Oops.

I was writing a snippy reply to the Easton Press customer service rep who really dropped the ball on my last order.* As I was explaining this to my significant other he asked, “Did her email have a question it in?”

“Well, no.”

“Then you don’t need to send an answer.”

I deleted my half written rant. Thank you Mr. Harmless for making the world just a little less unpleasant today.

*To be fair, one of her coworkers has since sailed in and resolved the problem beautifully. No extra charge for the mixed metaphor.

I’m all about spreading sweetness and light. Sadly, not everyone needs the benefit of my expert opinions at all times. From now on, I’ll wait to be asked before enlightening those around me with any of my choice intellectual tidbits.

Except for here, of course, because:

All the internet’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely bloggers,
They have their entries and their comments,
And one man in his time writes many posts…

Wow, glad I got that pretentiousness off my chest. Especially since Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar check suggested I replace the phrase “All the” with “The entire.”

Microsoft Word: making everyone’s prose just a little less immortal, one document at a time.

• This line stolen from http://www.birbigs.com/spj/
  Thank you Mike Birbiglia for giving me my new personal motto.