Hey there... It's been a while since I've blogged anywhere. Mostly because I've been struggling through some things that are on the DL. With that said, I had a realization last night while we were chatting. I'm co-teaching a class right now in Jupiter called self-expression collage. It's an art expression class. We do collages about different parts of ourselves and then discuss what they mean for us. I also lead small groups for teenage girls.

In both of these arenas, we have a rule that you get to choose the level of honesty that you're willing to operate on. Honest, more honest, most honest, or saying "I pass" are all appropriate levels of participation. At any given time a member of the group may choose to be funny or serious at different levels. The truth of it is, though, that the closer we get to most honest, the more we get out of the group. I see people (myself included) time and time again, wanting more from the group or a certain relationship but unwilling to reveal the deeper parts that create a "most honest" connection. Not that we can't or shouldn't have nonsense conversations. I personally love them... I guess it's just a little bit tricky processing into relationships with people, giving them permission to be honest, more honest, most honest or passing altogether.

All that to say, last night Mike says to me, "So, Lori, how are things?" And I say (pause one moment to see my brain thinking, "What level of honesty shall I share?"), "Things are good, Mike. I got a new roommate."