Last night I met with a good friend to debrief, and to develop a strategy to avoid a repeat performance.  He was very helpful.  He understands how my mind works and always gives obvious, but nicely laid out advice.  I have a new mental checklist for stressful group situations.  Within the first half an hour I should establish whether I am with people who are pleasant to be around.  If they are not, check the time, and ensure I leave within the next hour.  Have someone on standby to meet me after.  If I had of had this information in advance, I would have left, and a whole heap of stress could have been avoided.  As it was, I felt I had to stay.  It can be difficult when faced with a totally new situation to know how to behave, particularly when it comes to what would be considered rude.  I felt fairly sure it would be rude to leave before everyone had arrived (some people did not show until after 11pm).  Turns out that's not the case.  It's the showing of the face that's important, not how long it stays for.  If I had been a little smarter, I would have discussed it properly with a friend beforehand, and come up with a sensible strategy to keep me out of mischief.  I knew well in advance that it was going to be difficult.  Anyway, we haven't had a withdrawal of our invite to the Wedding to date, so I am assuming that I left just as I felt myself losing control of my emotions.  I have to leave very suddenly in those situations - the turn around from normal to mental is incredibly quick - and that would explain why I left without saying anything.  So hopefully I have narrowly avoided a terrible faux pas! 

I'll be glad when the Wedding is over and I can put this whole state of affairs behind me!  Not long to go now!  And I go to the Wedding straight from a festival, so I should be nicely jaded.  Ooh, the festival!  That's very exciting!  That's the sort of thing I should be focusing on!  I haven't been to this one for years and years.  I jammed for the very first time at it, when I was about 14.  I was terrified!  Happy memories, that I am looking forward to reliving.  Hopefully I'll form a heap of new ones too.  Can't beat a bit of bluegrass!