Tribalism

I was just getting ready to start planning for my yoga class tomorrow when Laura called me and asked me out for dinner. I don't do well with unplanned outings, generally, so I was really flustered and probably sounded a bit dim... she went on to say that it was unexpected but that she felt like being social and wanted to go out with me just the two of us - normally we always have the boys with us. So I put aside my anxiety and just said yes, and we went out and had a lovely couple of hours.

Somehow I feel spontaneity has totally disappeared from our busy lives. Stuff like calling up someone in half an hours notice just doesn't really happen anymore and it's a huge shame... we sometimes talk about tribes with Laura, and that's what we're missing these days. Countries and cities are too large concepts for a person to emote to, and at the same time families are getting smaller. There are huge numbers of single people living alone, I don't think this has been the case in any other time in human history... and I think it's an unnatural way to live that causes lot of pain and depression. Superficially fitting in becomes even more important because that might be the only social contact a person has, and failure becomes catastrophic.

I would really like to live in a tribe. I would love to buy up a big house with my friends and divide it into flats, but keep a communal area too - meet with important friends daily, care about them, be involved with their lives and have them involved in mine.

And I did decide that I wanted to have my tribe with me to celebrate my birthday. I sent an email promising champagne, strawberries and fireworks in exchange for food and companionship and hopefully I'll get the gang together for Saturday.

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