Squiggle & Heart, No. 66

I’ve been thinking a lot about a question I didn’t get comfortable asking socially until I was in my 40s really…

The place I learned how to ask this question is at writing retreats. They’re a good place to practice because generally speaking writers are interested and interesting people who want to meet others and hear about their stories and thoughts. These friendly places help me prepare for the moments when “May I join you” is harder to ask.

If you are looking to sit at a table - literally or metaphorically - May I Join You is both a key and a litmus test. If the answer is no, you may not want to be there. You may need to make your own table. If the answer is yes, you could find yourself in spaces that are life changing, wonderful, terrible, challenging, you never know. I think May I Join You might be the key not only to overcoming social angst, but perhaps on a grander scale to connecting and communicating across experiences, in a world that is divided-on-purpose. To come together at a table briefly, with the option to leave, may be our greatest chance of survival.

And remember, once you are seated at a table… metaphorically speaking… you then have the potential to change someone’s life by asking, “would you like to join me?”