Terrify Tissue

Here's something that has always baffled and, frankly, terrified me: introducing friends of mine to each other.

How do people successfully combine groups of friends? I am always totally consumed by the negative possibilities: what about all the things they DON'T have in common?; what are the expectations established by this introduction?; how do we get out of this situation if they don't like each other?; what are the expectations being established for the future?; if this is a party, will they be invited to the next party?; will anyone actually tell me if this was a bad decision?; what if one side thinks it was and the other doesn't?; am I completely insane?

All of these thoughts, and memories of past failures, most often lead me to steer clear of "group mixing."

I think some of my terror stems from the fact that I consider myself to be pretty good at social maneuvering, and mixing friends is a big chink in my armor. I feel personally responsible for the possibility of failure, not to mention liable for ACTUAL failure!

And now to explain the title of this post.

Be well.