During the week...I'm running around so often that, in general, when asked to socialize I say "ehhh..maybe another time." I think it's the combination of spending hours at school plus talking hours upon hours to kids that makes you just want to dwell at home underneath a blanket and think in silence.

So I surprised myself when I decided to attend a little social gathering with our staff at school. Mostly this was surprising because it was indeed a Friday. I'm generally out of steam by the time Friday approaches. And well- I usually like to leave school behind for a bit. 

But the time was nice and

we happened to go to a place that has Christmas up all year

and I certainly talked to others I normally don't talk to

but I also quite enjoyed listening to the conversations around me and just watching

and what I found is that stress really does affect the masses

You could see it on everyone's face or rather..you could literally see their face

relaxing a bit as the conversation continued and you weren't talking to

anyone by the copier

or running past them to find a student

or worrying about the nine thousand pieces of data you are supposed to be analyzing

I think sometimes we admittingly forget that who we are on the job is very different sometimes than who we are when we don't have the weight of the world upon our shoulders

and so it is helpful to converse with others in a different space..like for example..a garage.

amongst the Christmas decorations

to appreciate them in a new

and different way than you might have otherwise overlooked a bit. 

People surprise you. 

As one of my TEDx students said it best this week. "You know Mrs. Amoscato..all of us really do have 3,000 or more different sides of ourselves." How true this is.