Posted 02/05/2026

In 2026, we will touch not only grass... but hearts, too

New years resolutions suck because I'll end up beating myself up over not having lost 100 lbs in two weeks or something. So I made a new years suggestion: be more social. Since the baseline goal is wide open, it means I can change the goal to whatever it needs to be at any given time. But early in this year, it means doing like TWO OR THREE social things PER WEEK. Like, with OTHER PEOPLE in REAL LIFE.

The task was daunting, because I also make this goal in hopes of meeting new people - so not just scheduling three hangout sessions with people I already know, but the name of the game is to seek out new things, people and places, even. I racked my brain for things to try last year, but it wasn't until recently where I just looked up everything that looked even remotely interesting in my city and started putting stuff on my calendar under a new category, "Around the City." That way I never have an excuse like "uhhh I don't know what my options are."

I think in any given medium-sized American city, there's probably a lot more cool stuff going on around you than a Google search will let on. If you're like me, wanting to be more social, here are some of my tips and results after aiming to TOUCH GRASS more for about a month! :)

• Search up things you think you might be even slightly interested in. Your top 3 hobbies might be TV, biking and reading, but what about that little inkling in the back of your mind that says you might enjoy an open-mic poetry night? A scrapbooking thing? Some local music jam session? A book club? Drawing club? Knitting circle? Think about what you like and then think of something like, one step removed from it and look up stuff about that. Then compile all these things on one calendar - maybe if other plans get canceled and you become otherwise unoccupied, if you're feeling up for it, you can look at your calendar for something you already know sounds interesting instead of having to spend an hour trying to find something else on the spot!
• Unfortunately, you should probably look up things on Facebook and other such sites. I think there are like 30 book clubs near me that all exclusively post meetup times on Facebook. Social media sucks, but its reach, visibility and convenience are still unparalleled in the online event planning space. Even if you never want to post or add anyone on Facebook, just make a near-blank account and just use it for looking up cool stuff going on in your area. Oh and uh... Marketplace. Use it to buy old Macintosh computers on Facebook Marketplace. And then send these computers to me. Thanks in advance.
• Non-exhaustive list of places to look up events through: search engines, social media, public libraries, bars, board game stores, arcades, barcades, places in malls, asking friends, asking parents, asking co-workers, church websites and bulletins, "hackerspaces," colleges and interesting-sounding places in college towns, random weird looking businesses on Google Maps, book stores, coffee shops, music venues, gentrified bars, named neighborhoods that have block party dealies, searching "Discord server for x area" for your certain town or hobby of choice, and the list could go on...
• You're probably going to have to spend money. Maybe. But someone can often help you. I am blessed to have many, many awesome-sounding events going on in public libraries around me. I'm sure if I really wanted to, I could build my entire social life around my church stuff and things at the library. But... Pokemon trading card game nights at a nearby board game store sounded too interesting to pass up. So I put down like $50 to start building decks. BUT BUT, you know what? Once I started getting to know people, other store patrons were all too willing to give me old cards they thought didn't fit into their current builds or whatever. And not just bad cards, but a number of people have quite generously shared "the basics" of Pokemon cards, like items that every deck should have and whatnot, y'know? Ask and you shall receive.
• Talk to that stranger next to you. You could sit there awkwardly at that random dinner someone invited you to, or you could start asking what their favorite kind of music, movies or shows are. If you've made enough rapport with someone to show you won't bite their head off, then make sure to ask a medium-level-weird question that catches them off guard, but lightens the mood even more. I made a friend this way, can confirm it works!
• Text or call someone you haven't interacted with in a while. COMMUNITY IS HARD, MAN, and other people you've known probably also feel this fact. Have someone in your contacts that you haven't heard from in a while? Come up with some movie or game night and just text like 20 random people even if you haven't seen them since high school or something. What are they gonna do, say no and bully you the next day? The worst thing that could happen is they insult your mother, but the best case scenario is that you can be a friend to someone else who may really want or need a friend!

Alright alright, I talk a big game - but what are the results? Here are some of the highlights of my past month or so from following the above tips:

• Went on a multi-state road trip for new years seeing friends I hadn't seen in a while, all of whom gladly hosted me for the night so I didn't go bankrupt paying for hotels (if you're reading this, thanks!!! Good to see you!!!)
• Went to IHOP at random times - mostly at non-breakfast hours - with friends old and new scarfing down pancakes
• Attended an online (but still technically local, I guess) meetup of open source and Linux enthusiasts
• Went to two or three book club/Bible study type deals
• Played Dance Dance Revolution in an arcade and found out there's a local club of rhythm game aficionados (only to not join them, because my feet really hurt when I played the hardest difficulty of DDR I could handle)
• Went to a poetry night where people shared poetry they'd written themselves, while I, unprepared, shared poems from St. John of the Cross (go read The Living Flame of Love by St. John!!)
• Went to some random, not-exactly-cheap fundraiser that someone said they had tickets for that they didn't want to go to waste - ended up at a table with some old friends, made some new friends!
• Went and saw a live play in a theater in my town that I thought shut down. Only got to chat with some people briefly, but at least saw an interesting show while I was at it!
• Started a new addiction hobby of collecting and playing Pokemon card games at a local board game shop
• Emailed the owner of a local video game store (that I've met in person before at other conventions, at least) that hosts trading card game nights, but no video game nights, to volunteer to run a LAN party for the store... never heard anything back, though. You win some, you lose some!
• Went to random coffee shops and bars and listened to live jazz and solo harp players
• Hosted a movie night - previously attended by one or two people on some weekends, but on just the right weekday... got 10 friends to show up?!
• Went to a "zine" making workshop and made a funky little booklet - gave one zine away, got one zine from another person! :O (The image off to the side is the one I made!)

Sound like somethin' out of New York City?! Nope!! Not even a million people in my hometown and there's even plenty going on for a lowlife webmaster like me.

Listen to me, talking like I'm some kind of expert on this... by no means.

Now all that remains is to keep up the momentum and to cherish the family and friends in my life :)

If you have also found yourself at times to be a dork longing to touch grass... there is hope. Disregard the consequences of embarassment and press onwards. What do you have to lose?!

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