The pleasures of feminine congregation
Book club, Hadassah chapter, quilting circle, bridge club, running buddies, inner-city volunteers, softball team, knitters' group, investment club.
What groups do you belong to, and why?
My Texas Hold 'Em group has met monthly for four years, and I've missed maybe two games. We play for quarter bets, $2 limit, and being a bunch of women, feel bad if someone loses $20. We bring brownies, chicken wings, banana bread, samosas, Nanaimo bars, the occasional vegetable platter, and our favourite drinks.
Gay and straight, working and retired, single and attached, most of us had not met before our founder Bon tacked up a sign on a phone pole: "WANTED: WOMEN TO JOIN NOT TERRIBLY COMPETITIVE POKER GROUP".
There's something freeing in enjoying the company of women you likely would not have met in your own routine rounds. Everyone adds something: funny stories, life lessons, poker instruction, dating advice, oddball jokes. Jane works for 3M and brings everyone tape.
We always laugh, eat without guilt, laugh, win or lose a few bucks and leave with lighter hearts. I hope to eternally belong to a some kind of group of women of good will, gathered for a common interest.
Comments
men are good for some things -- but there's nothing like a group of opinionated women to make you laugh.
A girlfriend of mine organized a women only dinner once when her husband was away on business. I hardly enjoyed a moment of it as women who should have known better became more and more competitive as the evening wore on, if not about themselves, then about the success of their husbands.
I think the group of women I most enjoy are my colleagues. We are all from different cultural backgrounds and of different ages, but with one passion in common. We discuss, debate and disagree a lot, but there is real respect.
An interesting posting duchesse. It makes one stop and think.
Let's see.
I belong to a Monday Morning forum book club. We meet each Monday morning. This group has mostly older members in their 70's and 80's and I really cherish their friendship. They travel the world. I will be a happy lady if I have half their energy when I am their age.
I belong to another book club that I founded. We meet once a month and try to tie our meal to the book theme. I really enjoy this book club.
I belong to Dining For Women, which I urge everyone to think about joining, or starting a chapter. It is so worthwhile.
http://www.diningforwomen.org/
I also belong to a Girls Night Out group, which is made up of a group of girls that all went to high school together. I think I am going to stop attending this group, as it serves as a reminder of why this introspective friendly introvert did and does not fit in with the extroverted party girls.
Is that enough? ;-)
I am such a non joiner- early motherhood was sheer terror for me- no, not the babies but being with other mothers-and yet I wanted to be social with these people who talked about their love lives and what colour grout and dinner that evening I was bored silly ..... I held the baby club at my home and sat there and couldn't wait until everyone left and I could be alone with my babies. I guess I am anti social.....
sjcyogi