WU's first HSP Group

In all the research I've done on Highly Sensitive People, a recurring message among leading HSP experts is that it's so important for HSPs to connect with one another, because we are a minority, often misjudged by society and ourselves. Most of us are introverts in an extravert's world, and for that we feel different and alone, especially among non-sensitives.
That's why I've created a group here on campus called The Highly Sensitive Person Group, which meets every Wednesday at noon in the counseling center, until our group grows too big to fit in the tiny office and we have to move somewhere else.
Last week was our first meeting. I was nervous going in because I was convinced no one else would come, and I said I'd be happy if one other person showed up, so I was astonished when three others walked in. One was a friend of mine, and the other two had seen the flyers I'd posted around campus, and took a self test online to discover that they were in fact HSPs.
Once we had all squeezed into the tiny room, we began conversing casually about the aspects of our trait that set us apart from the rest of society. "Television commercials make me cry," the first member remarked. "My mom always tells me to lighten up, that I'm too sensitive," another added. The third admitted, "I can't sleep unless my room is completely quiet and dark. And, if my roommate leaves a mess on her desk, I can't study in the room, I have to go somewhere else," and we all nodded in agreement. "Same here," someone said.
There was so much I wanted to say, I couldn't form a complete thought, but it was enough being there with my kind, listening to them talk about the ways we were all so similar. As one insight flowed into another, my attention jolted from one side of the room to the other, as if watching a tennis match. The intern leading the group had much to contribute, discovering himself to be an HSP after reading Elaine Aron's book, which I'd lent to him.
What this HSP group does is shine a spotlight in the shadows of the "thick skinned" we sensitives have hid behind for so long. As our group continues to grow, so will that light, and soon, highly sensitive people in the Waynesburg University community will shine as bright as day, and we won't be afraid because of the connections we've made with our new friends, who know what it's like to be highly sensitive in a fast-paced, brutal culture. Together, we'll join hands on our journey to self-awareness and gain the courage we need to be ourselves.