The Commoner’s Table
In my local college town, there is a coffee shop that hosts monthly meetings called “The Commoner’s Table.” Every third Saturday of each month, a group of strangers meet around a table and write about a specific prompt given to us that month for 30 minutes- uninterrupted. These strangers then turn to friends, and each of them share their stories all while enjoying a nice cup of tea or coffee. Not only is this a way for people to practice their writing and hear feedback if they want, but it is also place for people to come together and find community. No prior writing skills are needed, just a friendly attitude and passion to get some writing in that day. I recently went to my very first meeting with this group and I honestly feel that everyone I know needs to find or do something like this. Even if you hate writing, I promise you wouldn’t after something like this. I thought that I would share what I wrote about as I felt that it really helped me to open up about where I am in my life right now, but also to think and write differently that I normally do. So here it is, my first commoner’s table entry:
4:40 PM Saturday February 19, 2022
Prompt: Uncertainty or Disruption
Funny that the prompt given today is one that relates to my life so much right now. Uncertainty or disruption. Uncertain about the future, uncertain about where I am going- uncertain about my next steps you could say. But also that uncertainty is disrupting me from my peaceful and content wellbeing. While these are not unfamiliar feelings, in fact these are feelings that I have had for quite some time now, they continue to shake me at points. One day I am perfectly content with what I am doing and trusting that each step I take is moving me towards my purpose…and then the next day I am going back and forth, an anxious and frustrating battle in my brain where I can’t decide if the shirt I chose to wear is even right. I have talked about this before, where I feel like your last semester- hell, last year of college is one that honestly no one prepares you for. We never see or hear the sides of college seniors that are afraid, worried, crying or contemplating their every move to make sure they “move to the right place,” “get the right job,” or even “find the right person.” There is no answer to these feelings that I have found personally, but there are definitely ways to lean into these feelings and see beauty in them.
Beauty. Hope. Beauty and Hope are now my new prompt. There is so much hope in what is to come and knowing that even though I am not sure what my future looks like, I know that whatever my future may be it is the one that is meant for me. How beautiful is it that there are so many things in our own unique lives that are meant for us.
Just us.
All of our lives are so different and that is beautiful because it was made for us. There is no pressure to do right or to mess up because no matter what decisions you make, the path is going to get you to where you belong. So, what does this mean? For me it means to do the things that scare me, lean into each feeling I have, and not let fear be held over me.
It means to not look at the uncertainty in my life as a disruption or see disruptions in my life as new uncertainties.
It means to look at them as beauty and hope and continue to move towards a more peaceful and content version of myself.
