Xpressions is a group hereabouts that runs monthly casual, come-as-you-are pub nights, occasional organized restaurant dinners and an annual Christmas Gala Weekend.

I came to know about Xpressions very early in my female existence, and their pub night seemed a most welcoming venue to make one of my very first outings to. And I have to say that I learned a lot about myself and the road I was starting on from them. And, for that I am truly thankful.

I have returned once in a while to maintain my connection to the group, but I never got really super-involved with them.

Truth be told, once I passed a certain level of comfort with being a woman, it seemed to me that the issues that I wanted to talk about and think about were not the same as those that were being bandied about at their meetings. Also, the group seemed to be a bit older and more conservative than I am.

This year, Xpressions invited me to be their photographer for their Christmas Gala party. That was a bit of luck for me, because from my vantage point as a detached observer (yet welcome guest), I came to realize the richness of the community they have built.