Commitments

Free-floating anxiety occurred Sunday when I left the house for my date. It comes from choosing priorities, worrying what people will think.

I've been double booking myself. Activity is good, but I must use my calendar, not make new commitments without checking. I'm unaccustomed to so many requests.

In my youth I was always over-committed. Years of never getting to know myself burned me to a cinder. These days it surprises me, when I arrive home, how much I'm inclined to withdraw from things. I must honour my alone time, but also maintain friendships and activities that sustain me. This requires self-prodding.

I hadn't heard from Two Rivers Community Group for two weeks. Finally they phoned yesterday and asked me to come in today. I had a lengthier interview, which segued into me actually typing up board minutes and answering phone calls. Blind instinct and imagination came into play, inventing simple answers to questions. Where is the office so some lady can donate art supplies? When can she drop by?

I've also volunteered at Out On The Shelf, a new queer resource library in Guelph. I might end up working there Wednesday afternoons, and at Two Rivers Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Tintin in Vietnam

I received in the mail today a delightful souvenir of writer00's trip to Vietnam earlier this year. It's a plaque bearing the fictional title Tintin au Vietnam. It depicts Tintin and Snowy strolling across what looks like a rice paddy in front of a map of the country, also a very European looking church. I gather unauthorized Tintin paraphernalia is popular in Vietnam, although as far as I can determine Hergé's character never travelled there. Thank you very much, E. I am a great Tintin fan, and it was very thoughtful of you to pick this up for me.