Enough with the formality already

It’s been a while since I last tried to join a club.

OK, technically, I’m in one now. I joined a local Democratic committee at the first of the year. Went to one meeting, sorta, kinda.

It was a Zoom meeting.

I felt like I talked too much, so I haven’t been back.

Last one before that was a local Rotary Club, but that one was probably just to get back at them, as much as anything else.

Years ago, I’d been asked to try to join, and then got blackballed.

This was a club that had given me a scholarship to go to college back in the day.

Years later, I was asked to try to join again. Against my better judgment, I did, didn’t get blackballed, joined, then got bored.

Rotarians sing silly songs at their meetings, pray, Pledge of Allegiance, all that jazz.

Way too formal for me.

Which is why I’ve never taken to any of the churches I’ve tried to go to.

Again with the singing and praying, and then the lead guy up there proselytizing.

I thought I could at least make headway by trying a Unitarian church, but even Unitarians sing silly songs and have a person preaching at you.

I connect with the spiritual sitting in my backyard, listening to the birds.

Just this morning, I was startled at the sound of a hummingbird a few feet away.

Those hummingbirds can get loud, flapping their wings like they do.

I prefer connecting with people over dinner, drinks, talking for hours about everything and nothing.

I try to make my mark on the world by example – working hard, putting the good of the whole above the good of one, standing up for the little guy and the little gal.

Funny thing is, I like to sing.

Maybe I need to find a club or church with a decent playlist, and instead of a guy in a suit preaching about whatever, it could just be people having good conversations.

But then, they’d probably want to meet at a set day and time each week, at a set place.

Still too formal.