Freedom of Association

I was listening to the radio sometime over the weekend -- probably AirAmericaRadio, which has become a passion around here these days, and there was a segment about the importance of forming friendships with people who share your interests. The discussion turned to something that was termed "supper clubs." Apparently, the idea is that folks invite a small group of friends into their home for supper -- 6 or 8 people on a regular basis. These groups meet to share common interests and have a meal and simply enjoy being who they are with one another. The suggestion was that one would form these groups with people that you might meet at church or at work or at the bowling alley or... Yeah! Right!

It's been bugging me ever since. Where do people like us, who like to do what it is that we like to do, meet up with people to share simple friendships? At church? At work? At the bowling alley? Yeah! Right! This is Cincinnati!!!! Good Grief!!!

There's a group of kinksters here. Might even be more than one such group. Have been others along the years. Problem with this... And this is true in almost any community you want to talk about, is that as "kinky people" we are relegated to the places where people like us are allowed to gather together, and then we are "stuck" with each other. Only a few of us show up in those gatherings and it's pretty much a take it or leave it proposition. What if I just don't like the ones who show up there this week -- or next week for that matter? I know for a fact there are other people out there somewhere, but they didn't bother or were unwilling to take a chance or didn't know about it or figured they wouldn't like the rest of us either. And it isn't easy for us to find each other or be selective, you know. Real limited set of options in a very limited set of venues under less than optimal circumstances.

So... supper clubs with friends that share your interests? Boy. That sounds good. In a perfect world, kinky people like me, that I liked would be coming to my house on a regular basis to talk and laugh and share a meal. And I'd be going to their place. We wouldn't be a bunch of faceless names on computer screens, wishing we could reach across the void except for the one or two times a year when we gather at the few hotels that are still brave enough to risk the wrath of the religious right and let us come together to be who we are as a community. We'd be able to stand up in the places where we live and work, look around and see each other, and pick our friends.

Wouldn't that be cool?

swan