Thursday, January 17, 2008

I'm a joiner

When I was in high school I was involved in practically every non-athletic extracurricular activity imaginable (except for that ill-considered season of cross-country my junior year). In fact, I received the "Activity" award at senior awards day due to my (insane) commitment to all my various clubs and groups. When I got to college, I was burned out. I was somewhat active in my own dorm's governance system, but other than giving a few campus tours a month and "joining" the ceramics club, I laid low.
That being said, there is one organization that has always been near and dear to my heart. I don't talk about it much (for obvious reasons) because I'm afraid people will get the wrong idea about me. You see, I've been a member of Mensa since I was 8 years old. My dad, also a member, took me to monthly gatherings that included dinner and speakers. One month there would be a tour of the post office; another month there was a guy who administered polygraph tests for a living. We had a tour of a funeral home once, and a few months later we had ballroom dance lessons. Sound weird? Maybe a little. The members I encountered were as eclectic as the monthly meeting topics. If it were not for our group affiliation it is possible that I would have never met some of those folks. What bound our hodge-podge group together? It's hard to say. I suppose the best way to sum up what makes a Mensan a "Mensan" (besides the obvious) is the fact that most of us really get a kick out of learning about new, and often off-beat, things.
Since moving to NJ my social life has gotten off track. I don't particularly like meeting new people. My friends would say I am outgoing, but the truth is, I feel extremely awkward around people I don't know. What to do? I'm going to re-up my membership with Mensa. While I've been a member for 20 years, I haven't paid dues in 5. I'm cashing in my chips, so to speak. I'm going to join the Central New Jersey chapter of Mensa. They have tons of activities and I really think it might be a great way to meet some new folks and try some new things.
If I was a member of DAR, I'd join the local DAR chapter. If I was a great bowler, I might join a bowling league. Well, I'm a member of Mensa. The way I see it, I might as well take advantage of this built-in social network and get to know some new people .

1 comment:

Rachel said...

that is awesome, carrie! i understand what you mean...gotta get out there and meet people...it is easier to do it (like you said) with people who share your same talents.

i love learning about new and different things...but girl, i would have scored a ZERO on a mensa test...