Never Let Anybody Sparkle Your Dull!
Joining a group of self-professed dullards has lifted my spirits tremendously
In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.
– Khalil Gibran
Recently, Facebook suggested that I might enjoy the fellowship of like-minded souls by joining the Pacific Northwest Dull Women's Group.
At first, I was dubious.
It isn’t that I don’t consider myself dull.
I am that in the extreme.
It is simply that asking to join a group meant that my admittance was in question.
It might be yes, it might be no.
After some pondering, I made the request.
I waited anxiously, and in no time at all, I was in.
I was a dull woman!
And if I simply minded my Ps and Qs, I would remain a dull woman for all eternity!
I was accepted.
I had found my people.
Dull women do not share dining with celebrities, win distinctive awards, or go on luxurious vacations where they are pampered and spoiled.
They may do these things, I don’t know. But that is not what we choose to share with one another.
Instead, we might announce that we have found a particular brand of cinnamon we enjoy, changed our oil, or rescued a bird that inadvertently flew into our window.
We might go for a walk, with or without a dog. Perhaps we watched an old movie that reminded us of our childhood. Often, our posts even include photos of these simple and remarkable adventures.
We marvel at the beauty of our own gardens, the glory of a sunrise, and the smell of the ocean. The goodness of coffee does not go without mentioning. We share our small joys and celebrate the small joys of our sisters.
Are you familiar with JOMO? The Joy of Missing Out? Well, we have that in abundance. There’s more than enough to go around.
Influencers we are not.
But it isn’t only celebratory events that we share.
Sometimes members confess that they are not only dull, but also lonely. Perhaps they have experienced a recent heartache, the death of a much loved pet, or the diagnosis of an illness.
Other dull women then speak words of comfort.
Dull women know just what to say.
We don’t say:
“You are killing it!”
We don’t say:
“You are drop-dead gorgeous!”
Instead, we say:
“We get you.”
We say:
“You matter.”
It may not be much, but it is just right.
I may not yet be an expert in being dull, but I am getting the hang of it quickly if I do say so myself.
And I do.
We may be dull, but most of us are as content as a cat on a windowsill. There is always plenty to observe, we are warmed by the same sun, and we can interact as much or as little as we choose.
Each of us resting in our own windowsills.
It is truly a beautiful thing.
“I have learned that to be with those I like is enough.”
― Walt Whitman
