Quite a while ago, I overheard some professors and students discussing something very interesting in the Museum Lab (it happens).
Basically, our society has no real way for us to meet new people for the pure purpose of socializing. Think about it; most of the people you know, you've met in one of a couple ways: through school/work/church, or through other friends/family.
Breaking it down, all the people you've met through school or work are colleagues, who you may or may not want to hang out with. People you met through church were probably involved in some church function that you were also involved with.
Friends and family are where things get interesting. We don't choose our families, and I know we all have a few interesting characters in our family trees. Friends may have started out as colleagues at school or work, or maybe they were neighbors or roommates.
In our society, there's really only one socially acceptable place to meet new people: the bar/club/liquor-unleashing establishment. Since I've only been to a bar in Twin Falls twice, and that was with my cousin, I haven't met any new people there. Nor would I want to; I got way too many lecherous grins from scary-looking people there.
Meeting someone at church is pretty much out of the question; I don't plan on being here long enough to get involved with the music ministry there, or help out with RCIA. Both groups are where I met most the people I knew in the parish I belonged to in Butte.
I'm not in school anymore, I don't have a job (yet), and I haven't met one friend here yet. It's not that I'm living a complete hermit lifestyle; I go to town every day and log on the internet at the public library, and I visit Barnes & Noble at least twice a week. My neighbors look like families, with no Finished-and-Unemployed college graduates to talk to, or even 30-year-old kids living at home to talk to.
I would have thought by now I would have at least met someone new and interesting.
I don't have a gym membership (my outdoor running trail is quite nice, actually), and I definitely don't know where the other 20-somethings hang out.
If anyone has any ideas or comments, I'd like to hear them. After all, this is just a theory, and I would assume that there are lots of cool college grads in Twin Falls (or any town) to hang out with.
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3 comments:
I have to comment on this.
I had the same experience when I left Montana and came here. I wouldn't have contact with anyone for days on end after I left work.
I met most of my friends in the apartment complex I lived in. But that was transient as they/ we all moved away from eachother at some point. But I did retain some good friends that way. Running or cycling isn't a great way to meet people unless you join a club. That is the good thing about cycling. There are cycling clubs. Not sure about running clubs.
I also wasn't a big fan of going to bars to meet people.
I suspect that if you were LDS still then you would have no worries in this respect as they would keep you busy.
I do know exactly what you are talking about however. I don't really have any answers. But you can draft behind me if you want. I'd be happy to pull you back into the lead group and then drop away having done my work. To put things into cycling terms. :)
It sounds to me like you have the world by the butt. Enjoy the solitude while you have it. It does have a value and you realize this when you loose it.
They do have running clubs, but I need to get my mileage up so that I can at least run with them! (I've been kind of lazy the last few months) I wouldn't know of any running clubs in Twin Falls, but in L.A. I heard that Nike will invite people to try out their shoes (in exchange for free stuff!), then everyone will do a short run on the beach, followed by free dinner (on Nike) at a local restaurant.
I would much rather not be LDS, regardless of any social advantage!
I am trying to enjoy the isolation, but sometimes it would be great to have someone besides myself to talk to. (People go crazy that way) I think I will take you up on your offer! :-)
One of my favorite coffee table books is by Andy Warhol and I think it was called America. It's been years since I've seen it. It is about a trip Warhol took across the states, going from NY to LA if I remember.
When he left NY he thought over crowding in the city made him neurotic and he thought that getting in touch with country might gain him back some sanity.
But then he spent some time on a farm. The farmer was talking to his animals and the isolation was perhaps making him somewhat "crazy" as well. I thought that was rich :)
You can probably find that one in the Library. Great photos as well. Only takes a little while to flip through it.
You are totally welcome to hook onto my wheel. I'm sure you can pull for me too.
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