To 52 weeks (57 OOPS LATE POST) Various LTTT things I did in the past year, and a little reflection. 52 (57) weeks ago LTTT had its first Tuesday. I walked in to the very first lttt and have come to all but maybe 3 since. In the beginning I knew no one; I only went because it was nearby and I had no reason not to. Based on the flyers, it seemed like an interesting, welcoming event. But it filled me with anxiety. You can’t play ping pong by yourself. I walked in, hung a bit, walked back out, and went home. In my doorway, on my phone, I looked at the flyer again - it said “i met many friends through table tennis.” So I went back. I met someone, we played a bit - but every week I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to play, and I was ridden with anxiety every time. Because of this, I didn’t always feel lttt was welcoming, but i went every week, hoping it would prove to be, or that I would prove it to be, though without thinking this so explicitly. ~ In time, I learned to meet people and introduce myself. In time, I also learned to occupy my time on the bleachers doing experiments - playing with 3D software to capture some parts of lttt. It was through this that jiro found me, and it was his unprecedentedly positive words of affirmation that made me so elated and motivated to do more, such as the stuff above. ~ Before lttt I felt constricted creatively, by the paradigms of academic and designer culture. After lttt I feel completely liberated. Before lttt I had very few friends in LA. Now I have so many amazing friends. Before lttt I knew no one. Now I know SOOO many ppl at lttt. I’ve felt like an outsider most of my life. I’ve felt unwelcome to varying degrees all my life. Today i occasionally feel like an outsider, but far less than I ever have. Today I feel welcome. Today I feel like I’ve finally found a place where I belong. And that is all thanks to LTTT. ~ Thank you so much @jiro.j.m for starting LTTT and for all of your encouragement (& more). Thank you to all of you - I hope you know that even the smallest and most seemingly insignificant of things you have said or done has made me feel so blessed to be your friend. To many more times together <3