conditioned_operant

conditioned_operant t1_j874lfc wrote

Reply to My therapist told me I’m ready now to practice socializing casually with strangers, suggested I find a friendly local bar and try there by DanteDakota

Ymmv but i found that “having a job “ was really useful. Like you have a predetermined reason to talk to folks. I was sort of Shanghaied into doorknocking during the 2016 elections to remind people to vote. I didn’t want to do it initially because I had pretty bad social anxiety back then but I found that it really made a huge difference — talking to folks and basically being able to displace whatever that person was sending my way towards the operation I was a part of rather than myself sort of let me off the hook of self judgement.

That aside, I still find bars kind of intimidating. I miss my hometown pub; it was a very low pressure environment with a bunch of patio chairs outside where people either kept to themselves or optionally joined in with the folks next to them, either was 100% ok. Haven’t found anything like that here yet.

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conditioned_operant t1_j5vyact wrote

Reply to comment by hemidemi in Does a Cambridge concert calendar exist? by hemidemi

I have no idea where to start with the local music scene. When I lived back West, I somehow knew enough people that I would go to house shows, underground venues etc. Best concert I ever went to was at a place called "The Hole," which was the basement of a house in West Oakland. Killed by gentrification now. If you got ideas on how to find smaller shows lmk

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conditioned_operant t1_j5vw0lg wrote

Reply to Does a Cambridge concert calendar exist? by hemidemi

Haven't seen one. Would love for there to be one. SF has The List[1], I don't see why we can't have something like this for Somerbridge.

[1] http://www.foopee.com/punk/the-list/

Hot tip: I occasionally take the venues I like and scrape a song from each act playing over the next month into a big ass playlist that I play on shuffle. If you hear something you like, chances are good you found a new band to enjoy, and guess what? They've got a show in two weeks.

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