Friendship Therapy

How do you make new friends? Healthy friendships add joy and subtract stress. But for many of us, friendships don't just "happen" the way they did when we were kids. As adults, we have to make more effort.

In times past, we met our neighbors over the clothesline in the backyard or when we tried to catch a breeze on a hot summer evening on our front porches. We got to know each other at the corner store. Now we stay inside with air conditioning, an electric clothes drier, a TV and the Internet. We shop at Big-Box-Mart. The people we meet stay acquaintances, not friends.

Today, meeting people and making friends has to be more intentional. One way to meet new people is explore your interests. What have you always wanted to learn? What has always fascinated you, perhaps even as a child? Licking County is rich in special interest groups like these:

• Licking County Rock and Mineral Club, which has speakers and field trips on geology, gemology and archeology; www.rockmanjoe.com/ohioclubs.html


• Licking County Computer Society, which has a repair group, a digital photography group, a website group, and monthly speakers; www.lccsohio.org


• Ohio Green Specialists, a newly formed group that brings together people interested reducing, reusing and recycling, and has upcoming speakers on solar and alternative energy and organic gardening; www.meetup.com/greens


• Moundbuilders 511 Toastmasters International Club, where both shy and outgoing people learn public speaking and leadership skills in a supportive environment; www.lectern.us


• Licking County Players, which in addition to actors and directors, needs people behind the scenes to usher, publicize, man the candy stand, paint the scenery, and other "roles"; www.lickingcountyplayers.org


• Habitat for Humanity of Licking County, where you can learn or teach building and maintenance skills while helping to build a home for a low-income family; www.lickingcountyhabitat.org


• Songwriters of Central Ohio, groups.yahoo.com/group/Songwriters-of-Central-Ohio

This is a small sampling--and they are all clubs I either belong to now or have belonged to in years past, so I can vouch that they are friendly groups where the members have a shared passion. There are many more where those came from. If you can think of an interest, there is probably a group somewhere, or you can start one.

Wishing you joy and friendship!

--Judith Allee
Parent Support Coordinator