A friend is writing a novel and from time to time will ask a Facebook group made up of alumni for their opinions or suggestions regarding a variety of information for his novel. Today, he asked about where someone in their 50’s would go to meet women in a particular town that we all grew up in. It seems that his protagonist is out “shopping” after a messy divorce. So several people mentioned meetups. He didn’t know what that was so we enlightened him.
I posted a link to Meetup and mentioned that there is a Meetup group for every age group and every interest. I belong to a couple of meetup groups for writing and one for crafting. Of course, I’ve never actually attended any of the meetings but I do belong!
Then I remembered a story regarding Meetup. It happened around 2008 when I moved from California to Oregon. After a summer with no TV service, I decided to respond to an ad from Comcast (who to this day remains ComCrap in my book) to provide internet and TV service. They sent out one of their salesmen to discuss what I needed and pricing. When the gentleman arrived, he was very cordial. He was probably five or so years older than I. He walked around the house to each room to see where we might need to put in cabling. When it was time to fill out the paperwork, we sat at my dining room table. He noticed my Tarot cards, some incense, and some crystals that I use when I do Tarot readings and asked about my interest in Tarot. We chatted about the Tarot for a bit and it turned out that he was also a Tarot enthusiast. He asked for my email address so that he could send me an invitation to a Tarot Meetup group that he ran. I figured it sounded interesting and I really did want to meet people as I knew not a soul in Oregon. He already had my email address and phone number on the Comcast paperwork so I went ahead and gave him my email address for the Meetup invitation. After he left, I forgot about the whole thing.
A few weeks later, I got the email invitation to the Tarot Meetup group. It turned out that the group was a Tantric Tarot group who met to explore and discuss the relationship of the Tarot to Tantric Sex and they met in a private home, in the nude! Well, I promptly put that out of my mind and out of the realm of possibilities for Meetup groups that I might attend! I was even embarrassed about it. I never told anyone about it until this afternoon when I related the incident to my alumni group on Facebook and then now, to my readers here.
I guess it just goes to show that there is something for everyone!
Hahahahahaha! I LOVE it! I wouldn’t have gone either but I sure would’ve have had some fun emailing that Comcrap creeper! Omg.. The best.. I see those meetups all the time and think, well, that might be fun but in the end my common sense takes over and I stay home. – Stopping by from ‘The Daily Post.’ – We’re “neighbors” by the way. I’m in Idaho and I too am a Tarot fan. – So happy I stopped by. 🙂 I’ll be back!
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Correction. Totally did NOT visit viz ‘The Daily Post’ but Blogher!!!! I have way too many tabs open on my computer! Either way, however I found you, I’m happy I did! 😀
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oh wow! If nothing else, it’s a good story 🙂 I have never done a meet-up, but this confirms that if I ever did, I would only go to one meeting at a public location 🙂 thanks for sharing!
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I so identify with this. When I laugh it’s at myself, too. I have done so many things that seemed sensible only to have to clean them up later. Like the time I panicked when my computer malfunctioned about sundown. I called a random tech from the yellow pages. He worked at my desk for two hours. I made sure to lock the doors as usual. I was locking myself in with a sexual predator. Of course, I only learned this AFTER he left and I Googled him and up popped his mug shot. He was a gentleman, but I learned my lesson.
I really had to laugh at your meetup. Who would have thought? A friend in my writers group goes to women-only meetups and met a successful local author at one. They have become friends. So public places would be a must.
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