My newsletter muses about mental health and life, shares fiction too out there for primetime, and contemplations about whatever the fuck I want. Read more on my About page or, you know…
This post is somewhat of a follow-up to My First 222 Experience.
What made you try out the 222 experience?
Out of my three 222 experiences, this question has come up in some variation at some point in the night. Nevertheless, the go-to answer most people, including myself, tend to go with is…
To form new connections.
I find this answer intriguing.
Why?
At face value, 222 Place sounds like a recipe for disaster. I mean, the way it works is you get a text message inviting you to an “experience” which tends to be dinner at an unknown restaurant. You don’t get the location of the restaurant until the day the dinner is held. Shady? Hold up, it gets worse. You’re meeting up at an unknown restaurant with three to five other strangers.
Rick Springfield warned us about this ya’ll. He said, “Don't talk to strangers, you know he'll only use you up.”
Yet, off we go, venturing forth to an unknown location and talking to strangers, bracing to get used up.
So, ladies and gentlemen, I ask again…
Why do we attend?
I can’t speak for everyone, only myself. And, by God, there are so many reasons why I attend.
The first is to form new connections, which I explained further in my last 222 post. The second is to improve my social skills and manage my anxiety in a group setting that has no objective (For example, speeches, and acting, I’m comfortable with those.)
Then there’s the chance to learn something new from a fellow peer, or the chance to learn a new part of a city I thought I already fully discovered.
And, since I’m a fictional author, I am always on the lookout for new writing material, whether that be from good, bad, or straight-out ugly experiences.
Luckily, I haven’t had any bad or ugly experiences, and I don’t think I will.
Why not?
I mean, did you read the description of 222 I wrote above? It’s shady! Super fucking shady! In every 222 experience I’ve had, at least one of my peers would joke that this is some kind of Black Mirror experience, swearing that there are hidden cameras pointed at our dinner table.
Could it be true? It could, it could not. Honestly, I don’t mind, and I don’t think my fellow 222 peers mind either. If they did, they wouldn’t show up. They showed up. And if you’re willing to show up, chances are you’re an open-minded, non-judgmental, and kind individual. Heck, I’ll add risk-taking to the adjective list. I’ve been to three 222 experiences and each individual I’ve met has fallen under that description.
At my last experience, apart from everyone falling under the description above, I also got the chance to experience…
Something meaningful
During the dining experience, no one asked what we did as a profession. That means a lot. A lot, a lot. In a world, predominantly here in the West, that ties their entire identity to their work and career, it’s refreshing to get to know someone for who they really are.
For me, my go-to questions tend to be about passion and happiness. I love to ask someone what they’re passionate about, and what makes them happy, and I love nurturing that joy and passion.
Anywho. What also made me fond of my last experience was the post-dinner experience which was an intimate show outside a winery in Malibu that sat next to the beach.
Good music with artists pouring out their hearts and soul? A beautiful and serene location with like-minded individuals? And a rich and delicious wine that made me as hormonal as a woman in her third-trimester pregnancy? Shit, it all made for a meaningful night I’ll remember.
Final words
What made you try out the 222 experience?
Chance. The chance to form new connections, discover new locations, and get out of my comfort zone. I aim to get out of my comfort zone as often as possible so long as I do something that captures my curiosity. 222 captured my curiosity and continues to hold my attention with chance after chance after chance.
I’m two experiences away from the highly anticipated “fifth experience” which promises to connect you with people you’re strongly likely to vibe with.
We’ll see about that.
The optimist and romantic in me are eager to drop everything and trust the 222 experience blindly so that I can bear all its fruit. The cynic, on the other hand, silently hopes for the worst Black Mirror outcome in the long run.
Which will it be?
I don’t know.
But I’m willing to take that chance.