I failed in this week’s attempt at a new extracurricular activity. I picked out a happy hour for young professionals at a newish beer hall/taphouse on the other side of downtown. Happy hours are a coin flip at best for me and those odds have actually improved over time. However, I set myself up for failure with this one.

Simply put, I waited too long to walk over and so didn’t arrive until the event had already been going on for half an hour. That is a self-inflicted error and I know better. Arriving early is one of the most effective tactics for events like happy hours for me. This was one of my biggest takeaways from the book Quiet. If I get to a place early, I can settle into it and get comfortable before the decibel levels rise. This allows a mental shift for me from “I have to break into the event” to “I am a part of the event already and now others will join.” This is the battle raging in my head. My extroverted readers may have no familiarity with it but the introverts among you will empathize.  

The scene wasn’t aided by the cold weather forcing everyone inside and the venue’s concrete floors and cinder block walls. Combine that with conversation circles that had already formed and I waived the white flag on the event. Was the retreat too hasty? Perhaps, but that was what I chose. My hope is that by writing about the experience I’ll not self-sabotage similar events in the future.