Saturday, June 25, 2011

UF9 Branch Out

I attend a congregation specific for 31-45 year old single members of the LDS church in south Salt Lake. There are so many things that could be said about this congregation...but most of those things are more fun to talk about in person! So I'll stick with some positives.

The active members of this "Branch" are diligent and hard working. Last night, the activities committee hosted a campout in Midway, UT and outdid themselves in terms of location and food!

The underlying expectation, was that we would have the opportunity to branch outside of our comfortable social circle and meet new people. That was done, I met some individuals that I had never spoken with before. Let this be a commentary on me...I was bored. By 9:30 I was hoping I could sneak off to my sleeping bag without being noticed and obtaining a scar on my super social reputation. But good things come to those who wait!

One by one, people from the branch who I knew, but not well sat down at the table for some conversation. It wasn't too long before we decided that rather than "branching out", we'd "root down" and get to know each other a little better than the superficial level that we had already established. There's something about late night, and something about being outdoor by candlelight, and something about the right combination of personality coming together for a short time that can make for some fantastic moments in life!

In just a few hours time we irreverently created inside jokes and bonds that I will always appreciate and reference! Those really are my favorite pieces of my life. I'd been asked earlier in an introduction how I would describe the ultimate Friday night. Of course I said that dancing, anyplace/anywhere, was my definition of the perfect way to pass time...but I might take that back. I might say that an upbeat playful conversation with interesting people might be my new favorite Friday night!

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