![\"my-group\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.godammit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/my-group.jpg?resize=480%2C269\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In my desperation for contact with kindred spirits, I joined Meetup.com<\/a> with the idea of finding a social group in my community that I could join.<\/p>\n You punch in your zip-code and you’re presented with a bunch of categories to click on.<\/p>\n There’s arts and culture, fitness, career, health and wellness, hobbies and crafts, etc.<\/p>\n It wasn’t long before I realized that I don’t like to do anything! It came to me like a bolt of lightening, even though you’d think I would know myself by now.<\/p>\n Hiking, no. Goddess Women, no. Yoga at sunrise, nope. Watercolor, no. Spiritual living, beginning motorcycle, exploring pubs, paper crafts, games, improv, no no no.<\/p>\n THERE I S NOTHING ON EARTH I WANT TO DO.<\/p>\n I complained to my husband and I complained on Facebook. Where’s the stuff I like? What about sitting around complaining? Where are the people who enjoy that? I can’t be the only one, right?<\/p>\n So a couple of days ago, I went to my own group called “Wandering around Nordstrom,” and talked to a beautiful young Russian emigre who works in cosmetics. She was willing to help me look for a product whose name I forgot by a brand I wasn’t sure about. She had beautiful long hair and a nice accent that she let me try to imitate. I fucking loved her!<\/p>\n We admitted to being kind of isolated in our new communities. So I told her about my effort to find a social group. She had tried that, too. We mused about forming a group to talk about fashion and hair. I added complaining and she was down for that too.<\/p>\n Feeling inspired, I went home and began to start a new group at Meetup. I was pretty happy with my description of ‘Fashion, Hair, and Complaining’, and clicked on ‘finish.’<\/p>\n They wanted $9.99 a month to list my group. Deal-breaker.<\/p>\n Somehow, that ruins it for me. That would be like buying friends, almost. I can’t stoop that low, even though I’ve stooped much lower on countless occasions. But still. I logged out in disgust.<\/p>\n Now they’ve sent me an offer to start a group at half-price.<\/p>\n Are they testing my principles? Or just trying to see how cheap I am?<\/p>\n Please advise.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In my desperation for contact with kindred spirits, I joined Meetup.com with the idea of finding a social group in my community that I could join. You punch in your zip-code and you’re presented with a bunch of categories to … Continue reading