Cliques

 I was recently having a discussion with people my age and the word "clique" came up.

It has a negative sound to it because cliques were exclusionary.

People who share similar interests and enjoy being together but don't readily allow others to join.

So were you in one in school? Or did you want to be in one but didn't feel welcome?

I had a blast in school and had some great friends.  Some of those friends were ones I'd known since forever and others came along later - the country school and Catholic school kids.

The people I was with when "clique" came up were women I'd gone to school with but never hung out with.  The reason?  They were quiet girls.  Good students.  I was not.

That was pretty much it. I didn't dislike them back then.  I simply didn't know them.

That was why, when this opportunity came up to spend some time with these ladies, I jumped at it. I enjoyed that afternoon and look forward to the next gathering.

At our 50th reunion 6 years ago I realized, as we all sat down for lunch, that I was at "the smart table." Again, more people that I didn't socialize with because - smart, studious, rule followers - wasn't the category anyone would place me in.  And yet?  I had a blast with them and didn't feel awkward.  Not much, anyway.

The reason I decided to address the idea of cliques is because it's been haunting me a bit since then.  Who gets through school unscathed?  Feelings get hurt. We mature, hopefully, and heal.

Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

Three Little Words

Wow.  I haven't written a blog since last September.  I think I've been relying on Facebook and Instagram to keep you abreast of my every move and thought.

I felt like this "thought" needed more space so here I am - back in the blog saddle.

This topic may only resonate with the Medicare crowd but you youngins might enjoy it too.  Stick around.

Everyone knows, whether you choose to accept it or not, that "as we age" (don't you hate that expression?) our memories get a little wonky at times.  

So Medicare decided they needed to check to see if we still had all the marbles we started out with on a yearly basis.

One of those ways was to hand you a piece of paper and ask you to draw the hands on a clock for a specific time. We know how to do that because that's how we grew up but there's that moment of complete panic when you ask yourself "is the short one supposed to be pointing at the hour or is that where the long one goes?"

Whew!  Nailed it.

Now for the challenge.  The nurse tells you 3 words and asks you to repeat them.  She says she'll ask you to repeat them later on in the conversation.  So for me, that means I don't listen to a single word she says from then on because I'm silently saying those dang words in my head.

A few years ago I used a crutch to help me remember.  Sign Language.  I didn't actually move my hands about - didn't want her to think I'd gone completely off my rocker - but made the signs "in my head" and it worked!!!

I recently went in for my yearly physical armed with my secret Sign Language weapon but was still on edge.

First off, I never got to draw the clock.  The task I was most confident in. And then?  NO WORDS TO MEMORIZE.

As I got up to leave I asked about that part of the yearly interogation (I mean physical) and she said "Oh, we don't do that any more.  That's why we sent you the questionaire beforehand.  You know, the 2 pages of questions you filled out and brought in?"

I didn't remember! Maybe they should go back to The Three Little Words.