Local Issues

Why are we unhappy? Where does emotional pain come from? Studies show that people who suffer from long-term emotional pain have painful experiences in their lives that were never fully resolved in their mind. In other words, there were issues in the past that were not completely dealt with. This can include abuse in childhood, breakups, divorce, death of a loved one, to name a few. How do you know whether you have gotten over something painful? Here is an easy test: Do you still have attention on what had happened to you? For instance, do you still find yourself thinking about something painful that you went through? If you are, then you are not over it. In fact, in severe cases, people find themselves playing a "tape" in their mind over and over again. So how do you heal from your past? How do you stop the "tape" playing in your mind? In this meeting, you will learn a technique to help you with that. Come join us! Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is created by the Dianetics and Scientology life improvement center.

Happy Holidays!! Join us for a warm and welcoming Vegan Christmas Potluck! All holidays are welcome, not everyone celebrates Christmas. This is a great chance to meet other vegans, make new friends, and share delicious plant-based food with people who share the same values. Holiday attire is encouraged! 🤩Best holiday fit wins a small prize!!🏆 📅 Date: Thursday 12/25/25 ⏰ Time: 12pm - 3pm 📍 Location: It’s All Natural! Temple Store Bring a vegan dish to share and post in the comments of this event what you’re bringing so we can avoid duplicates. Doors open at 12pm to begin setting up, but we aim to start the feast between 12:30pm and 1pm. Come hungry, come friendly, and come ready to connect. Card games will be available too! We can’t wait to celebrate with you! ‼️ REMINDER ‼️ If you arrive to the temple early, please do not ring the doorbell or knock before 12pm. Some people may be in prayer and we do not want to disturb them. Simply wait in your car. Thank you for understanding and being considerate of this! 😊

Join us for lunch and meet our very successful group. We are each others sales team...always looking for referrals for our members. If you are looking for new clients, let us help you out! Bring your business cards and brochures to share with us. We have a speaker each week so that we can learn about their business. Because we have only one member per business, we have many of the spots filled. However, we are specifically looking for an estate attorney, a handyman/electrician, and an event planner. We have referrals for you! All visitors are welcome. Any questions contact [pmarchio@farmersagent.com](mailto:pmarchio@farmersagent.com)

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. If the weather cooperates we will be meeting in the patio. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who want to discuss international travel and culture, and anyone who enjoys getting together for good conversations."

Do you want more motivation and confidence to build Lasting Relationships? This is a free, in-person meeting on the subject of betrayals, losses and how to get over them so you can build lasting relationships. Are you burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse. Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival, while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well. Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship. Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action? Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships! Break free from self imposed limitations Here we will discuss: • How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes. • Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you? • Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it? • Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love? • Fights & arguments - what's really behind them? • What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others? • How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change? • Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them? • How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about? • How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career? Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general. Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person. Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This class is held at the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center.

You must check into with the host and say you are with Suzie or Columbus Meetup To get the drink specials you must check in before 8:30 pm These are the drinks specials: $3 Domestic Draft- Miller Lite & Coors Light $3 Well Liquor Cocktails (no doubles/no redbull/no shots) $4 Vizzy Seltzers $5 Select Call Liquor-Titos, Bacardi, Bombay, Cazadores Reposado, & Jack Daniels (no doubles/no redbull/no shots) $5 Select Shots- White Tea Shots & Fireball

Early-bird coffee and conversation at [5 Bean Coffee](https://5beancoffee.com/)!

Join us for pizza, drinks and conversation! Gatto’s Pizza began in a small shop on North High Street in the neighborhood of Clintonville, Columbus, Ohio. It was 1952 and the brothers, Joe and Jimmy Gatto, opened the pizzeria to serve their community, using family recipes to make fresh dough, sauces, meatballs, and Italian sausage.

Join us for a casual chat over coffee & tea at Stauf’s German Village! Come out and meet some new people, enjoy your favorite drink, and make some new friends! Afterwards, we’ll visit The Book Loft (next door) and stroll the shelves.

[The Board Walks](www.theboardwalks.com) are for curious people who love deep conversations. If that sounds like you, **bring a thoughtful topic** **and join us for a 5-mile walk** (10,000+ steps!). **What to expect:** We walk as a group and dive into topics that go beyond small talk. Recent topics include: * "What are you passionate about right now?" * "What makes a good friend?" * "What's a belief you used to hold that you've completely changed?" * "How do you want to be remembered?" * "What would you do if money wasn't a factor?" This isn't a fitness event with casual chitchat. It's a walking think tank where we explore life's big questions together. *If you're looking for light banter or a standard networking event, this probably isn't the right fit.* But if you crave depth, genuine connection, and conversations that make you feel alive? You'll love it here. **Come prepared:** We ask that you bring a thoughtful topic with you. At the start of the walk, everyone shares their topic with the group, and these become the launching points for conversations throughout our 5 miles together. Think of your topic like the dish you're bringing to our conversational potluck. If everyone brings an A+ dish (i.e. energizing, uplifting, expansive), we'll all walk away feeling lighter and brighter. Be a good egg and bring a topic that'd make people go "Oooh, interesting." **Important notes:** * Wear casual athletic attire and sneakers. It's a long walk! * We welcome people of all ages, backgrounds, and industries who align with the [intention](https://www.theboardwalks.com/ground-rules) of this space. * This walk is designed for everyone to *move together at the same steady pace* (about 20 min/mile). We want everyone to have a great experience, and this format works best when the whole group moves in unison. If you have mobility limitations, we kindly encourage you to find an event better suited to your needs. **FAQs:** * We have multiple first-timers on each walk! We work hard to create a welcoming, inclusive, clique-free space. * Rain or shine, we've been out here nearly every week since July 2022. If the event is cancelled, we'll let you know. * Dogs, babies in strollers, parents, and friends are very welcome — please text/email them the event link so they can RSVP and prepare a topic! **Logistics:** * **Arrive on time.** If you'll arrive over 10 minutes late, we kindly suggest that you skip the event. It's hard to find us once we start walking, and one of our goals is to create a "phone-free" space — which means everyone (including the host!) will be fully present. We can't answer messages during the event. * **Read our [Ground Rules](https://www.theboardwalks.com/ground-rules)**. Our host gives an overview of what to expect at the beginning of the walk. * **Share the magic**. If you enjoy the event, send **[this](www.theboardwalks.com)** to a friend. We're currently in 7 cities with more on the way (Austin, SF, NYC, Denver, Columbus, Boone, London). 🤠👋 **If you want to go deeper...** [The Board](https://stan.store/ellebeecher/p/the-board) is the next step: a high-trust collective for renaissance people devoted to creating, connecting, and building lives that light us up. * This is a global HQ for people who crave big talk, deep connection, and dream collaborations with people across industries. If the walks feel like a spark... The Board is the fire. * We're currently building our waitlist. Apply [here.](https://stan.store/ellebeecher/p/the-board)

**Start the new year with a Braver Angels gathering focused on speaking openly and listening deeply.** **In small, structured groups, each person will have five minutes to share a political or social issue that matters to them and why- no debate, no interruption, just genuine curiosity.** **Participants will practice curiosity, reflecting back values and emotions they hear, asking thoughtful questions, and- only with permission- offering their perspective.** **It’s a simple and powerful way to connect with one another and begin the year with a respectful and courageous conversation.** **Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026** **Time: 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm** **Place: Columbus Metropolitan Library, Southeast Branch, 3980 Hamilton Rd, Groveport, Ohio** **All are welcome- bring a friend!** For additional information contact: Lee Evans at [LEvans@BraverAngels.org](mailto:LEvans@BraverAngels.org)

Welcome, readers! ❄️ Our December read is **_A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella._** A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella is a tender, character-driven novel that follows three people in a small Pennsylvania town as they each cope with loss and seek connection. Chuck, a widower, struggles to find meaning after his wife’s death; Ella, a young woman, faces the heartbreak of her missing daughter; and Kirsten, a veterinary technician, grieves her father while contemplating her future. Their stories intertwine gently, revealing how grief and hope coexist—and how even small acts of kindness can help people rediscover purpose and peace in the aftermath of tragedy. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! At this meeting, our third annual White Elephant book exchange will take place! If you'd like to participate, bring a gift-wrapped book that you already own. On the gift wrap, write the genre of the book. We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖

Who says you can't get into someone else's head? In the 1999 movie, *Being John Malkovich*, Charlie Kaufmann and Spike Jonze explore the answer to that question with some strange and extremely funny consequences! Nominated for 3 Academy Awards, be prepared for a "mind altering" discussion!

CHANGED to WEDNESDAYS COLUMBUS RECREATION CENTERS require membership fee to play. Register & Pay at the desk when you arrive. $5 day pass is available. I have some extra pickle ball paddles and balls if you don’t have one. Definitely bring your own paddle if you have one and bring some balls if you have them. Legal Stuff: The event hosts/Organizers are just fellow member volunteers. By participating in any event, you assume all risks of liability and injury inherent in these activities. You are responsible for your own safety and for determining if you are in condition fit to participate. You are also responsible for knowing and abiding by all laws and rules during your participation in any event.
 Photos & or Video: by attending these events you acknowledge photos and or video may be taken and used on this and other platforms.

Wild Ones: Annual Native Seed Swap January 10, 2026 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am Join Wild Ones Columbus for their annual native seeds swap. If you have native seeds to share, please label them with the Latin name and common name. The seeds don’t need to be removed from the seed head if you aren’t sure how to do it, but remove as much stem as possible. Bringing seeds is not required. Bring bags or envelopes to store seeds. Inniswood Metro Gardens 940 S. Hempstead Rd. Westerville, OH 43081 Phone (614)895-6216 This event will be held in the Greenhouse/Multipurpose Building located near the east end of the parking lot. Click here to see the Inniswood map. If you have native seeds to share, label each species with this information: * Botanical Name * Common Name Species we will accept: * Species native to our ecoregion (8.2.4) - Best * Species native to Ohio and surrounding states - Good * Straight species only - no cultivars. The seeds don’t need to be removed from the seed head if you aren’t sure how to do it, but don’t leave much stem on the seed heads. Please email the list of species to Mary May so we can prepare information for attendees. You can bring the seeds on the day of the swap, or we can arrange to have them picked up beforehand - just let her know in the email. If you don’t have any seeds to bring, no worries. If you are new to native plants or didn't have time to collect seeds, there are ALWAYS plenty from those that do bring them! We love to see "newbies" at our seed exchange! Also, remember to bring something to put seeds in such as envelopes, paper bags or containers.

First Sundays are free admission at Franklin Park Conservatory. Sunday, January 4th, is also the last day The Palm House will be open before renovations begin. Let’s meet, enjoy a respite from January weather, and wander the gardens. Free neanthe bella palms are available to guests, beginning at 10am, while supplies last. Afterwards, we can visit the nearby East Market (212 Kelton Avenue).