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.

We all travel our separate paths but on so many levels we are all the same and have the same needs. Community and acceptance are high on that list and in ample evidence here.

Though I may not thrill at the opportunities available during their weekend to visit the Art Gallery or eat in a restaurant “dressed” – as I do this every day, or any day, without thinking about it – perhaps it is high time that I put more emphasis than I have been on helping others navigate the road I have already traveled.

… what JFK said…

It’s a resolution for 2014.

Meanwhile here are some portraits from the party: