Back in the saddle

        Tonight, I decided to stop changing over my winter wardrobe for spring and summer, and to get out of the house, instead. I ended up having a pretty wonderful time.

        The denizens of a local art gallery, Red Saw, have been sponsoring a free B-movie Night at a local pub every Sunday for the past month or so, but I haven't made it to any of the showings. Tonight, since the SPO was in Philly for a Mets/Phillies game, I decided to give it a try.

        This Sunday, the selections were Warriors and Laserblast, two deliciously under-budget, over(and under)-acted movies from the late 70's.

        They had us laughing out loud and screaming at the screen. I loved it!

        But, best of all, I got to see friends and acquaintances from my old neighborhood that I hadn't seen in ages. Kisses and hugs came at me from every direction. I hadn't talked to some of these folks for years.

        It might sound a bit conceited, but I really liked being the woman everyone was happy to see. I loved hearing the cries of "Tara! Where have you been?" and "I missed you!" coming from so many. Sometimes, I've found myself feeling lonely since I've moved, but mostly, I've valued the time on my own, to move my life forward and try to plan for my future. I assumed, now that I was out of sight, folks wouldn't really think much about me, though I cherished (and still cherish) the fond memories I made with them.

        So, it came as a (very) pleasurable surprise to be greeted with such warmth. And I came to a realization: I don't have to be a hermit in order to "get my house in order". There's plenty of time in the day for me, and for the people who have helped shape my life, as well.

        More importantly, I remembered that I didn't give these people up just because I needed to grow up and move on with my life -- I left them behind because after breaking up with the Arichitect, I decided to make things easier on everyone by sparing them his open grief. Nearly four years later, I still tend to be a bit nervous when treading on what I can't help but think of as his turf. But everyone who knew me then, and even a few who didn't, welcomed me with open arms tonight.

        It's good to be back.