What's Making Me Happy This Week: Social Connection

I embraced the fact that I'm an introvert a long time ago. As a kid, whenever I took my head out of a book long enough to think about it, I puzzled over the gaggles of girls on the playground at recess. What were they accomplishing? How did they never run out of silly things to say to each other? I didn't need them because I had books to read, things to learn.

Maybe that's why I didn't have many friends.

I've come a long way since then. I no longer cross the street to avoid people I know, and I get that the point of small talk is to say to other people, in many more words, "We're in this together."

One of Ellen's great photos from the game on Saturday.

Even more recently and in typical fashion for me, I've realized that there are books and things to learn about gaggles of girls and how they help create happiness. I even finally understand that the whole point of life is to connect with other people. Wow.

People are social creatures with a biological need to belong. We organize ourselves in families, neighborhood watch groups, church congregations, barbershop quartets, soccer teams, book clubs, and drumming circles. People with more friends are healthier, happier, and live longer. They're more resilient, better at coping with stress. Even in the age of Facebook and Instagram, in-person social connection makes people happy. I know it makes me happy.

So I try to override my natural tendencies and put down my book once in awhile.

Take Saturday. My friend Zoe was in town from Baltimore and brought over bagels (with butter) for breakfast. Then I went to Ian's basketball game, where I chatted with my friend Ellen, who came to take photos of the game.

My social energy flagging, I almost forgot about the walk scheduled with another friend. Luckily I made it, because we had a great conversation about being single in a world full of married people, and men and how under-evolved they can be. (Sorry men, but it's true.)

Then at the boys' swim meet -- typically a tedious four-hour test of endurance in a hot, humid room to watch each kid swim for a total of about three minutes -- I got to sit with old friends that I see only rarely. It was completely unexpected. They were there with their daughter, who turns out swims on the other team.

Then a stop at Andrina's to get pizza, and then home to hang out with my favorite friends, my boys.

I felt happy. Really, really happy.

What's making you happy this week?