Though it’s in a new location, the camaraderie, the welcoming environment, and the support remain the same. The monthly Men’s Mental Health Meet-Ups – hosted by the Macon Violence Prevention and Macon Mental Health Matters programs – are now being held in Serenity Entertainment Complex’s new location at 382 Cherry Street, Suite B, and the next one will be Monday, July 27, from 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Though the new location is being set up for a completely different crowd – more revelry and celebration – it coincidently lends itself to the more intimate and personal discussion, with decorations welcoming the men looking for like minds and situations and furniture arranged to make them comfortable.

Walking down the stairs for the June meeting, the first thing they saw is a lighted sign reading, “This must be the place.” Though not hung there for them, it was the message they needed to see. And the guys never missed a beat from the previous month. Regulars welcomed each other as old friends, and newcomers were given the space to introduce themselves and tell their stories, all received with nodded heads and affirmations.

“Coming to these meetings has helped me a lot,” a long-time attendee said. “I have depression and have gone through periods of therapy and support, but coming to these meetings is like recharging the battery. They help keep me on the right track.”

Decompressing and setting boundaries was the main topic in June, but it eventually shifted to family dynamics, both of growing up and how they are now. This quite frequently happens; men who are fathers, husbands, partners, sons…each role adding a level of responsibility to their lives where they feel they can’t fail. Society tells them how to be strong and how they can’t fail…so they’re left to their own to deal with their own upbringing (or lack thereof) and their fear for their own children’s future.

Throughout it all, Jeremy Grissom – who coordinates the monthly group – peppered the conversation with his own experiences, both good and bad.

“Things are hard, but we can do hard things. We have every tool to do what we need to do,” he told them, reminding them that decisions must be made and there are always going to be consequences. “Whether you face it or not, there’s an outcome to that. Something’s gonna happen; it’s coming.”

Another lighted sign nearby (more visible on the way out) read, “Bad decisions make better stories.” Another sign not tailored to this group specifically but a reminder that even if they had made decisions, they had stories that could help someone else. Their decisions and stories could, on that night, make this the right place for someone else.