Red Rover, Red Rover, Send Baldy right over

I was in a small branch of the church this morning. I was attending as the brand new 1st counselor of the stake young men's presidency. Somehow I am to be able to train and support local young men's leaders. I also get to drive around for up to 90 minutes and listen to podcasts on my ipod--a good chance to catch up on General Conference talks and such. This can be a good calling for me--it will push me to try to be in tune with things of the Spirit more than my last calling (stake executive secretary). On the other hand, I have to be social.

Sure, I am not completely inept at people skills--bring up BYU football and I can share minutia with the best of them. If I know you, I can chat about this and that. But, small talk with strangers--ug, someone put me out of my misery. Some things I can fake--this one is tough. To add an element, I have to be able to make small talk with...(sigh)...teenagers. Yeah, the only people who stare down at their shoes in unfamiliar social situations more than I do are teenage boys when some bald guy with glasses who calls himself "Brother" so and so offers his hand.

It is interesting to be around a small branch. Everyone had multiple callings, talked to each other like they were related (50/50 chance they were), and were generally friendly. The chapel converts into a basketball gym (half court)--with carpet of course. But, the same Spirit is there and the unfamiliar becomes familiar. I will be traveling an hour to a ward next week in which I will teach a combined young men meeting. I'm thinking of taking my old skateboarding pictures--just to catch them off guard a bit. If I get desperate, I might have to pull out the ol' Napoleon Dynamite dance.