Okay, three days travel, three days to get back in the swing of things. Why must it be so?

When I have to navigate the social pathways of this tiny community, especially when it's, say, graduation party time, I get confused. I check in with trusted friends--do I assume this? Am I supposed to do that? It's crazy, and confusing, and even people I see as self-assured and understanding of the mores and folkways of this town and this church have to think twice. It's easy to get wounded when invitations are issued or not, or are, kind of. So I went to a party I dreaded, more to support a friend than anything, and had a good time. It's another lesson for me to quit focusing on myself, my needs, my anxieties, and just visit with people. Be there for them. Enjoy the moment. Open one's hand's and receive the gift of presence.