September 12, 2008

• I Like You. Now Eat Something.

  Last week, Shaun and I started having Thursday Night Recession Potluck at our house. Every Thursday evening, our doors are open to all of our city friends/aquantnces we’d like to be friendlier with. People don’t have to come every week, just when they feel like it–when the week suits, we’ll be open for business. Potluck is a very casual, totally low pressure evening of shared plates, drinkies, and conversation and was born out of a few ideas:

  1.) Bringing Scotland to ‘Merica
  Potluck allows us to open our hearts and home in the way that is a true reflection of how we feel for our friends and all the beautiful people that we enjoy. For what good is thinking “you know–that person is really cool.”? One must act! Show that person! Scotland taught us that. Scotland is full of that. In my experience (Shaun’s too), Scottish society hinges on it. America needs more of it.

  2.) Breaking A Bad Habit
  My favorite things include: biking, running, swimming, reading, writing. Alone-type things. Shaun is similarly solitary. But we are humans! We need people! We love people! Its just easy for us to fall into a habitual hermit-type life. Potluck offers a built-in safe-guard against seclusion. We need to get out of ourselves. Communities nourish people, if we let them.
  
  3.) Going out = Money. We Don’t Have Any.
  We live well, but not well enough to spend much money on socialization. If we’re all going out to the pub or to a restaurant to enjoy each-others company, lets just skip the price mark ups and gather ’round  my kitchen table. This week, I made a summer vegetable soup to feed an army for about $12. Plus, the case of PBR we’ve started to keep on hand for those interested in sucking down a cheap beer or two over the course of the evening. We’ve still got loads of both left over. See? Economical.

  4.) Urban Living = Isolation
  Cities are filled with young people, away from the family and friends of home. Its hard to make friends as a grown up. Especially in a culture that emphasizes work, work, work. You’re at work so much that you rarely meet people outside of work. And even when you like the people that you work with, after you’ve just spent 8 hours with them, do you really want to grab dinner together and unwind over the weekends? Sometimes you do, but its nice to make your bubble bigger, more diverse. Its great to keep the conversation fresh, the ideas new and percolating. It feels good to introduce people to new friends. And since people in cities tend to relocate at an astonishing rate (myself included), its nice to have as big of a support system as possible. I think it just might help people calm down and stick around for a while. Or at very least, allow social groups to replenish.
  
  5.) Sharing Ideas = Changing the World
  Okay. So far, we’ve not figured out how to stop Sarah Palin’s horror show or how to end our addiction to oil. But we just might get there. The voicing of opinions with our actual voices–not through blogs or texts or even articles/essays–feels so good. And changes things–it changes us a little bit. Plus, it just plain feels good.

  So far, both Potlucks have been really fun. It looks like Potluck has a dedicated little group of 4-5 ladies and Shaun. Every week holds new potential, new ideas, and something positive and pure. It makes me happy and is really easy. I made sure to indicate in the invite that things would be really casual, so aside from wiping off the table, making a big batch of something to eat, and running the dishwasher, the night runs itself. I’d recommend them to anyone. We’re not alone in this world. Our iPods just make it seem that way sometimes.
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  How do you foster new friendships? What are your thoughts on the role of friendships in adult life?

  • 12:58 pm
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