Storytelling

**🎉 Book Swap: Bring Your Books to the The Potter's House Café & Bookstore! 📚** 📅 **Date:** Monday, December 22nd, 2025 🕒 **Time:** 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM 📍 **Location:** The Potter's House Café & Bookstore - 1658 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009 **Agenda:** * **6:00 PM - 6:30 PM** \- Check\-in and chat * **6:30 PM - 7:00 PM** \- Introductions * **7:00 PM - 8:00 PM** \- Book swap **Please note**: * Gently used books are ideal for swapping. * If a book you bring isn’t swapped, you will have the option to donate it to The Potter's House community shelf. * This is a “stay-and-swap” event, so please join with the intention of engaging and connecting with the group.

Come see the greatest Christmas story ever told: The 1988 action movie ***_Die Hard_***, starring Bruce Willis I'm not sure when this became a quiet American Christmas tradition, but I haven't seen this movie in decades and it's time to join the parade. - Sunjeev 6:40 PM showing Mon, Dec 22nd [Tickets and info](https://silver.afi.com/movies/detail/0100000082/) $14; Seniors $ 11 General seating / not reserved [Original 1988 trailer](https://youtu.be/jaJuwKCmJbY?si=6OVS0kq4tklcUlF9) [30th Anniversary trailer ](https://youtu.be/gYWvwkXreaI?si=AIdmMFB0qHV5-Xvq) [Xmas trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wi28Vsi_ZU) Join us at AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring. We'll meet at the box office at 6:15 PM, say a quick hello, grab our seats, and watch the 6:40 showing. Afterwards we can find our way to a local spot to talk about the movie and what other shows we might want to see. "In LA to visit his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia), tough-as-nails New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) barely has time to feel out of place at her company Christmas party before a band of terrorists takes the building hostage, demanding the $600 million in the company vault. Masterminding the plot is sophisticated villain Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman); bumbling the response are the LAPD and the FBI. McClane is in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he is the right man for the job, fighting his way through “40 stories of sheer adventure” in this supremely well-crafted, exciting and often hilarious thrill ride — much imitated, never equaled and still unsurpassed. DIR John McTiernan; SCR Jeb Stuart, Steven E. de Souza, from the novel “Nothing Lasts Forever” by Roderick Thorp; PROD Lawrence Gordon, Joel Silver. U.S., 1988, color, 132 min. RATED R "

Join us as we do an invigorating outdoor walk and talk in Historic Greenbelt MD. Our goal is to walk twice around the 1.4 mile path. Should take about an hour. Afterward, those of us interested will head to nearby Cedars of Lebanon restaurant for lunch and conversation. The address for GPS is Buddy Attic Lake Park. 555 Crescent Rd. Greenbelt, MD. Meet us in the parking lot. Thank you! .....Ross A.

Our 3rd Annual DC Tree Hike is back to illuminate your dark December night! This year, we're embracing the Norwegian concept of *'friluftsliv', (*"open-air life") - the love of the outdoors, despite the weather. Join us for a easy 4.5-mile hike around Washington, DC. We'll visit tree displays at Union Station, the U.S. Capitol, the Canadian Embassy, the Ellipse and City Center DC to take in all the sights and sounds of the winter season along Pennsylvania Avenue. We will start our hike outside of the Downtown Holiday Market adjacent to the National Portrait Gallery and Gallery Place Metro. Arrive early and enjoy the Downtown Holiday Market before the hike. We'll gather at the Portrait Gallery stairs on 7th and F Streets NW (across from Capital One Arena) We'll depart promptly at 6:30pm and keep a steady walking pace to keep our toes and hearts warm. In the spirit of the holiday season, the trip fee for this hike is only $1.\*\*(cash/electronic payments). RSVPs will open two weeks before the event. Please [click here](https://adventuringlgbtq.com/Adventuring_Release_Form.pdf) to review our release form. When you RSVP to an event, you affirm that you have read and agree to the terms of the release.

Grab dinner from one of the R House food vendors or a beer from the bar and join your fellow writers for our Monday evening writing blitz. We start off with (very) brief summaries of what we’re working on that day, followed by a series of 20-minute work sprints. Come give this work format a try and see if it helps you make progress towards your writing goals. **[Join the Agile Storytellers email list.](https://tiffany-aurora.kit.com/22dad96a95)** \*We stay on Meetup for discoverability but most of our members don’t sign up for events here. We have regular attendees at each event. Come join us anytime!\*

📚 Do you love reading, but wish you had a structure and a community to share your insights with? Join our small circle of curious minds (just 4 members per gathering) as we come together for an hour of focused reading—in the calm setting of a library or the cozy atmosphere of a café. Here’s how it works: First part: Quiet reading on your own—bring a book you’re exploring, whether it’s philosophy, history, psychology, literature, or anything meaningful to you. Second part: We regroup and each person shares key takeaways, insights, or questions sparked by their reading. This sparks a structured yet free-flowing conversation around ideas, perspectives, and personal reflections. Why join? Add structure to your reading habit. Discover new books, authors, and ideas through others’ choices. Build real connections by sharing and listening deeply. Socialize around something meaningful instead of small talk.

Please arrive early (no later than 7:30) to stretch out and warm up. Wear a black jersey and bring a pair of shin guards.

Here is an event for anyone who will be available on Christmas Day. Come and join me for a great meal and some drawing at Chinatown Garden. We can sketch while we wait for our food to arrive and after we eat. This is becoming a tradition! I look forward to drawing with you there. [Chinatown Garden ](https://www.chinatowngardenwashington.com/)

Gently flow to release the week's stresses, then deeply stretch with the yin and restorative yoga in an accepting, calm environment enhanced with candlelight and the aromatherapy of essential oils. Leave feeling relaxed, refreshed, restored and ready for what the weekend has in store for you! Class is 75 minutes. The session is offered InStudio only. **Sign up at www.piesfitnessyoga.com required at least two hours before class begins.** The address is 1322 Prince St. Alexandria, VA 22314. Our entrance is located on the side of the building, parallel to West St. **Street parking is available and additional parking is located at Shiloh Baptist church, spaces 36,37,38,39.** The church is located across the street from the studio, on the corner of Duke St. and West St.

Hi Everybody. Let's return to St. Elmo's Coffee Pub, Old Town North for our book session this week. It's near the corner of Asaph and Montgomery Streets.. There is a large table in the back for our group.

The topic for January is "Chemistry" Speak Easy: true stories, told live. The idea is simple: an audience, an open microphone, and great stories. Hilarious, gripping, poignant- it's up to you. Audiences are invited to come to listen or come to tell as folks from all corners of Columbus offer their stories live on stage! Held at Wild Goose Creative's warm, intimate space, this night of tales occurs on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Doors open at 7:00 pm, show starts at 7:30 pm. Please arrive early if you want to tell, as we generally only have room for a limited number of tellers, and the sign-up sheet has a tendency to fill up fast. Formed around the idea that people need stories--they're what hold and draw us together--SpeakEasy celebrates the strangeness and commonness of being human. And in a world of smartphones, Facebook, Twitter, and more . . . it gives people a real, breathing, in-person way to connect. The night is geared for true stories of all kinds, taking the best tales told around kitchen tables, in darkened pubs, on the street corner, and at late-night parties and giving them an audience. Speak Easy is also a great outlet for performers, writers, and artists looking to share their favorite stories and perfect their skills. We strongly encourage tellers to please tell the story rather than read it so we keep within the spirit of good storytelling and stay engaged with the audience. All are welcome. Hang around after the show for a drink and build community!

The topic for February is "Transitions" Speak Easy: true stories, told live. The idea is simple: an audience, an open microphone, and great stories. Hilarious, gripping, poignant- it's up to you. Audiences are invited to come to listen or come to tell as folks from all corners of Columbus offer their stories live on stage! Held at Wild Goose Creative's warm, intimate space, this night of tales occurs on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Doors open at 7:00 pm, show starts at 7:30 pm. Please arrive early if you want to tell, as we generally only have room for a limited number of tellers, and the sign-up sheet has a tendency to fill up fast. Formed around the idea that people need stories--they're what hold and draw us together--SpeakEasy celebrates the strangeness and commonness of being human. And in a world of smartphones, Facebook, Twitter, and more . . . it gives people a real, breathing, in-person way to connect. The night is geared for true stories of all kinds, taking the best tales told around kitchen tables, in darkened pubs, on the street corner, and at late-night parties and giving them an audience. Speak Easy is also a great outlet for performers, writers, and artists looking to share their favorite stories and perfect their skills. We strongly encourage tellers to please tell the story rather than read it so we keep within the spirit of good storytelling and stay engaged with the audience. All are welcome. Hang around after the show for a drink and build community!

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).

$5 MOVIE NIGHT! With avatar fire and Ash, James Cameron takes audiences back to Pandora in an immersive new adventure with marine turned Navi leader Jake Sully. Navi Warrior, Naytiri and the Solly family. The film has a screenplay by James Cameron and Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. We will see the 6 PM showing and I will post my seat so that we can sit together. We can grab something to eat after if people want and chat to round out the experience. This is a MUST SEE MOVIE for me. I hope you feel the same. I will CANCEL if there are less than 5 RSVPs on the movie date.

Try new games, meet new people, and find out what story games are all about! Explore the reaches of space! Witness kingdoms rise and fall! Create and explore tragedies! All within a single game night. We play story games like Fiasco, Kingdom, Polaris and Microscope that encourage everyone at the table to participate creatively. We also have one-shots of indie, OSR, and narrative-focused RPGs such as Apocalypse World, Dread, Lady Blackbird, and Old School Essentials! Everybody's welcome! It doesn't matter if you've never tried story games before or never played roleplaying games at all! Just bring your brain and a good attitude and come try it out! *** **IMPORTANT** * When you arrive look for the marked Story Games Columbus Tables. Each table will have a separate game. Seating is on a first-come-first-serve basis. * If all tables are full, look for a Facilitator. We will find a way to get you into a game! * There is a flat $3 cover charge for events at Tabletop. *** **Facilitators!!** Please arrive early so that we can get you set up with a table. Please reach out to me ASAP if you would be willing to help facilitate. You can reach me on the SGC Discord here - https://discord.gg/jUTvWUu

[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)

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