Go Out and Join Something!

All people need a place where their roots can grow deep and they always feel like they belong and have a loving refuge. And all people need a place that gives wings to their dreams, nurturing possibilities of who they might become. — Sally Clarkson

Go Out and Join Something . . .

If I were to offer any advice to you today, it would be just that --“join something.” Of course, there would be ways I would want to clarify that statement, pointing out some of the better groups or entities you might consider “joining,” or suggesting what causes might be worthy of your time and dedication. Of course I personally would not want anyone to join anything that brings harm to me or mine, to my nation or to the welfare of other people.

That said, you might well ask just what got me on this tangent of “signing up” for some group or duty that requires your time and energy anyway? And I would tell you that it was a meeting I attended last night that led me down this path.

It was a simple neighborhood association meeting. But folks, let me tell you, nothing is really “simple” about a neighborhood group. It sounds easy—like all we had to do was show up, chew the fat and then things would happen. “Au contraire mon frère” as my old French teacher used to say, meaning, on the contrary. No group runs in such an easy peasy manner. But even though such a group is not that easy—this would be my suggestion for a starting place. Because I did just that years ago and my life changed, literally.

Now, it must be said that my daughter points out that I have the “George Bailey gene” or the propensity to try to be a good guy, or in my case, gal. I can’t help it, I blame my parents. They were good guys whom I loved with all my heart and I just naturally wanted to follow in their footsteps. I’m still low on the tote board compared to them.

So, I was a sitting duck for the person who called to ask me to join the Neighborhood Association (before I was even unpacked, I might add.) I learned that a new neighbor was the target of those who were in charge of growing the group. But I knew they meant well, and it was my neighborhood too, so I might as well get a move on. I confessed I felt low on the skills scale, but that I could bake. Bingo! They had a winner.

And so, I signed up and became the hostess who supplied light goodies for our neighborhood meetings. People, to be fair, I must disclose fully and let you know that this is a slippery slope—but slalom on anyway, you will be glad you did. Once you are in, it’s like the Knights Templar—you are a part forever of a group on a holy mission--that is to support, protect and defend your neighborhood.

So, I moved from hostess to Vice President of said group, then President. Was this especially because I had the perfect skill set?--No, but I was available, I was standing upright and breathing, so I truly did meet the quals. (I’m joking a bit here—my neighbors had more faith in me than I had in myself.) They felt they saw potential and I could not let them down.

And so it went to President, then back to VP for a while. All the while I was gaining a skill set whether I knew it or not. I learned more about tax databases, and zoning and ordinances and what variances are and how difficult it is to actually get full buy-in on having speed bumps added to a street. We all did it together, we learned and persisted and kept going, even in the lean times.

And now I am a “member at large.” And in that capacity I attended the board meeting last night to help map out the next year—to plan barbecues, and fall fests and to discuss the possibility of again having a luminary project, and to be a tiny part of the glue that holds our neighborhood together. It was swell. One neighbor offered her business space for a meeting place and another kind soul brought sandwiches for the group.

And so we sat, in a circle, and discussed and laughed a little, and thought of old times and what was to happen in the coming year and so on. And I have to tell you that that circle was a holy circle in a way. It consisted of old friends and new, of people who really had believed in me more than I did, thus helping me to grow wings. But they had also been my friends in times when my parents grew old, in that time of death when my husband died, and still they sat with me, in this circle, planning and bonding and making things better, always. So, they were my roots, they, we, had made a neighborhood, where I have lived for 41 years. I am a different person because I had such friends through the years who had initially just been neighbors.

So people, if you want to feel better, if you want to change your life, if you want to change the lives of others—join something, contribute, learn, give of yourself and I guarantee that your life will change.