Remember that old Seinfeld episode when George got into a hissy fit about people from two of his worlds meeting? That image of him going nuts about "worlds colliding" has stuck with me for a long time - because I used to feel the same way.
I had my work world, my family world, my church world, my golfing world, and my writing world. I always kept them separate because I was very conservative around my work friends, very giving around my family, very musical around church, wacky around my golf ladies, and creatively driven around my writing friends. It was easier to keep them separate so that I'd know who I was.
But it didn't stay that way.
Other people at work had kids and I'd run into them in the community. It was awkward, but it worked.
Right after 9/11, our colonel wanted us to have a memorial service. When no one else stepped up, I volunteered, writing out the service and bringing in my guitar and singing familiar hymns like Amazing Grace in the conference room. I was afraid people would laugh at me. But they didn't. In fact, it opened up a path for some deeper dialogue with my work friends.
When we decided to move south, I put all of my friends on my mailing list. Then on my House of Lies book tour, they came out to see me. I had work friends there, church friends, family friends, lady golfers, writing friends, and you know what? It was fantastic. There was so much love and energy there that I surfed on it for an entire week.
Friends are friends. Don't worry about keeping your worlds separate. People who love you will hang with you through good times and bad. Allow yourself to be a friend today!
Maggie Toussaint
Seeing Red, coming soon from Freya's Bower
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