Back to the City

Seems I am in a bit of rut, as I headed back to the city on Sunday.  Usually my husband does the driving and I help with the technological wizards that talk us through the street turns.  This time I made the decision to drive in on my own.  This was a really big decision for me as I am terrified to try to find a place on my own in the city...TERRIFIED.  Some folks get anxiety on meeting new people, others find it anxiety producing to throw a dinner party, and of course giving a speech usually ranks right up there in heart-pounding efforts, and even others are anxious to reach the top of a cliff and look back down.   All of these things are thrilling to me, but not terrifying.

None terrify me as much as trying to find an address in an unfamiliar part of town and then finding parking in the crowded areas of a city and all with a time deadline!  I had been invited to a class by a 30-something new friend I have made and I just knew at my age hanging out with 30-somethings is essential to good health!  This gal admires me for some unknown reason.  She is smart as a whip, independent as an albatross, and doing interesting things in her own life right now.

So, throwing caution to the wind (or whatever trite expression you want to insert here), I dropped hubby off at the son's house, plugged in my destination, and headed deep into the bowels of the city.  The mapquest folks wanted to take me straight through the heart of the city to the other side, but with a major marathon taking place as well a numerous streets under construction, I was smart enough to program a bypass way.

I allowed myself about 20 minutes extra time, and I still arrived 5 minutes late!  Every parallel parking space left on the side streets was 4 inches too short for my compact car.  I finally found a space just in front of the bus stop and three blocks away, but not blocking any city buses.  I backed in and locked the car rushing off all the while praying I had not misread the signs and would not be towed!

When I had gone online I saw that the meeting was in one of those tall brick apartment buildings on a tree shaded street.  I had written my gal friend about an apartment number, but she said she did not have one, so I assumed we would meet out front, in the side yard or the lobby.   I got to the building exactly 3 minutes late, opened the door and found I could not move beyond the little entry room and was faced by the dial-in directory.  It has been years since I have used directories in apartment buildings but I figured out how to scroll through the two dozen names and nothing seemed familiar.  I paused.  I did not have my gal friend's phone number...just her email.  I dialed into the email on my phone and just 15 minutes earlier I saw she had emailed the name of the person giving the class and the apartment number.  With a little old-age dyslexia I finally got buzzed in and headed up two flights of stairs.  Reading small print on apartment directories and going up two flights of stairs...challenges that rarely give the 30-ish crowd pause...already had me a little out of breath.

As I entered the cute little apartment, I saw the other young ladies had already started on their  mimosas and brief introductions were made.  I found it easy to fit in and soon the class was started.  It was nothing super-special...something I could easily have picked up in a book on my own or watching a YouTube video...but my learning experience this day was far more important than this class, and perhaps, not something these single gals would not understand at this time in their lives?

Oh, this is what I took home at the end of class...yes it got knocked around a little in the car...but so did I!

So what thing gives you more than pause...what gives you a terrifying bit of time?