A Sense of Belonging

Still reading the NYTimes. I have a need to post but nothing coherent to post about, so I'm digitally digesting my daily reading.

Just read, from the magazine this weekend, about a Supper Club that meets on the First Wednesday of the month to share meals.

I love stories like this (there have been several in Mothering recently), about supper clubs, book clubs, art groups, playgroups. Because I love to belong to groups like that--we did a dinner group in my moms' club; I have an art group (and have tried a story group) for the kiddos; my playgroup is my central social outlet and source of much friendship and support; I don't have time to read but always love the idea of a book club, even though, oddly, I've never belonged (though, really, isn't graduate school one big stressful and competitive book club?). And I'm always inspired to start something like this. I sat there, while reading the article, wondering who in my group of friends and neighbors would like to play along, knowing as I mused on it that, in the end, we probably wouldn't easily be able to play. But I like the idea. Maybe when we don't eat dinner at 5 pm!

I am a joiner. Never saw a problem with it, still don't. All that rejection of groups with "I don't need a club to have friends" doesn't offend me, but doesn't make sense either. In this time when there is little geographical community, what is wrong with community based on mutual interest? Now, I'm not into exclusive clubs--Girl Scouts let in atheists and gays, UUs are open to everyone, my Chicago chorus didn't require auditions (thankfully), my college fraternity was service-based and let all interested join, and my playgroup is pretty much "If you feed us, we will come." But I like the formal structure, regular schedule, familiar activities, predictability flavored with variety, ritual and tradition. I'd make a great Catholic if it weren't for the catechism. Oooh, and give me a uniform or matching t-shirts and I'm all atwitter. My mom used to joke that I'd probably love being a nun (hmmm, perhaps she knew more than I did! :) )

Well, I've heard how well my cousin the Trappist monk eats at his rural monastery in France. That's the ultimate supper club, no?

I'm not sure I need to take it that far, but, maybe a few organized family potluck picnics this summer wouldn't be a bad idea . . . any takers?