Day 5 - Spectator and/or Active Participant

In my youth group there were many instances where I was either a spectator or an active participant. In my first year of the youth group, I did not know many people and was very shy. I did participate in a lot of the events and activities though, because my best friend also attended the youth group. The following year, however, at the annual Double Dare night/program, where two teams compete in physical challenges and messy games, I did not participate; rather, I watched. I think it was a mixture of not being completely comfortable and not knowing many people well. Looking back, I should have stepped out of my comfort zone and just participated. Sometimes doing something embarrassing or funny is the perfect way to get noticed or to make friends. No one wants to be friends with some one who is perfect. Participating in the challenges would have been a good way to display that I am not perfect, and that they can relate to me on different levels. I should have put my fears behind me, grabbed some one that I kind of knew, and participated in the challenges.
On another occasion, I did participate in an activity in my youth group. This year I began attending regional events through my youth group, where a bunch of youth groups from different areas throughout the east lakes region came together for a weekend of fun and Jewish activities. Though I did not know people that well, I decided that I should at least give these events a try, since I had only heard good things about them. Participating in these events was one of the most fun things I had done yet. I spent most of my time with a girl in my youth group who I was kind of friends with. Since she let me tag along, I was able to meet hundreds of people whom I never knew existed. Some of these people became really good friends with me. What allowed me to sustain my involvement in these get-togethers, which I still attend today, was the good friends I had met. I don't get to see them except for at these events, so I continue to attend them, do crazy things with them, and just have fun.