Duplicates
I'm in two book groups here in Santa Fe. One is sponsored at the botanical garden, and I wrote about my first meeting here. It's a fluid, changing group that shows up once a month, and we read books about the environment, the southwest, and plants.
The people are kind of oddball and artsy and entertaining. The organizer is a former peace corps volunteer, failed beekeeper, garden enthusiast, and she's a delight.
Discussions of the books are not very deep and pretty scattershot, but it's good to talk plants and climate with this group. I don't go each time, but I've been to most meetings since we moved here.
The other book group is a gathering of 12 neighbors (including me), all women my age. We meet monthly at each others' homes. This group is impressive -- highly educated, well traveled retired professionals, the kind of women who ran things and headed organizations when they worked; literate, well read, knowledgeable about so much. These are women who are profiled in the newspaper or honored at city events. That's happened several times since I joined.
The books are challenging, the discussions are well researched, and topics are wide ranging. I really enjoy it.
But it's been a hurdle for me to meet 11 new people all at once and keep them straight. Especially since there are twos of almost everybody.
Out of a group of 11, eight share a name with another! There are two Lindas, two Sherrys, two Andreas and two Barbaras. I am trying to keep up with the talk while doing mental gymnastics to remember which Barbara is speaking or which Sherry I'm sitting next to.
My brain is too old for this.
I try memory games but my system needs work -- D is for dainty and Linda D. is tiny; G is for golden and Linda G. wore a butterscotch colored top, but that didn't work when she showed up in another color the next time. I'll get there. As I go more often it will get easier.
What are the odds that there would be so many duplicate names in such a small group?
The people are kind of oddball and artsy and entertaining. The organizer is a former peace corps volunteer, failed beekeeper, garden enthusiast, and she's a delight.
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| Shawna leads our botanical garden discussions |
Discussions of the books are not very deep and pretty scattershot, but it's good to talk plants and climate with this group. I don't go each time, but I've been to most meetings since we moved here.
The other book group is a gathering of 12 neighbors (including me), all women my age. We meet monthly at each others' homes. This group is impressive -- highly educated, well traveled retired professionals, the kind of women who ran things and headed organizations when they worked; literate, well read, knowledgeable about so much. These are women who are profiled in the newspaper or honored at city events. That's happened several times since I joined.
The books are challenging, the discussions are well researched, and topics are wide ranging. I really enjoy it.
But it's been a hurdle for me to meet 11 new people all at once and keep them straight. Especially since there are twos of almost everybody.
Out of a group of 11, eight share a name with another! There are two Lindas, two Sherrys, two Andreas and two Barbaras. I am trying to keep up with the talk while doing mental gymnastics to remember which Barbara is speaking or which Sherry I'm sitting next to.
My brain is too old for this.
I try memory games but my system needs work -- D is for dainty and Linda D. is tiny; G is for golden and Linda G. wore a butterscotch colored top, but that didn't work when she showed up in another color the next time. I'll get there. As I go more often it will get easier.
What are the odds that there would be so many duplicate names in such a small group?
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