Where the rubber meets the road...

So, this weekend is a crossroads. It will be "where the rubber meets the road," where I "put my money where my mouth is" and other overused sayings otherwise meaning Decision Time. Recently, a very good friend enlightened me to the wonders of Meetup.com, a website designed specifically to help you meet other people in your area who share your interests, such as book clubs, athletic clubs, singles groups, rock climbing enthusiasts (of which I am not...this body was not designed for harnesses, thank you very much), really anything you can possibly think of. If it's not on there, you can make your own group and suddenly realize you're not the only one in the world, who say, loves reading antebellum historical novels. All free of charge, which is, of course, my favorite part. I thought it was a much better alternative to very expensive online dating sites which are usually just like a meat market of photoshop-enhanced pictures strategically cropped to eliminate that which you are most self-conscious about only typically to result in an awkward first date and an even more awkward follow-up email.

Because I also recently rediscovered my love of creating "art," (the quotations are meant to denote that I, in no way, consider my work to be good or artistic) I joined a local group for those of us in the creative mindset looking to 1). meet new people, obviously and 2). learn more about creating art with different media, locations, subjects, etc. With Meetup.com, you can RSVP to an event and bring a guest. This Saturday night, this group is hosting an exclusive sketching session/class at a local art museum with a live model. Cool, huh? Very uncharacteristic of my usual Saturday evening festivities, but I think definitely worth a try. I thought, 'Okay, I'll go and drag someone with me.' Just as fate would have it, every single one of my local friends who would even moderately enjoy this type of activity, is booked solid. So, my choices are: go it alone or stay at home Saturday night.

Although I'm sure the event will provide me with some great material to update you with, I'm nervous! Can I do it? Can I just walk into an art museum, with nothing but my sketch pad, some charcoal and an easel and introduce myself to complete strangers? As awkward as that might make me feel, can I run the risk of even increasing my awkwardness if it's a (gasp) nude model?! I am an adult, I can do this...right? I can be brave and do what I've proclaimed I want to do...right?