Connections

A couple weeks ago, my local library posted a new club that was going to meet the first Wednesday of every month: the Make and Share Cookbook Club. I mean, could anything be more perfect for me? (The only other thing I can think of is an in-person sign language class, which I have always wanted to take and have never been able to find near any of the towns I’ve lived in. I’ve done the online classes and no, I want to do this in person. Always on the lookout for that!)

So, I clicked the ‘interested’ button and then tried to talk myself out of it. Probably everyone that went would go in pairs or groups with other people they knew, and I’d be the odd man out. What if everyone was wearing masks and I couldn’t understand them?

I decided to email the lady putting the group together, to ask about the mask policy and express my interest. I told myself that if masks were optional, I had to go. I really have to get used to putting myself out there.

She wrote back, was very kind and accommodating, and told me that masks were optional. She was also happy to meet with me one-on-one to explain the club.

So I went. I arrived early because I wanted to check out a book first, and also find out where the club was actually meeting because the post didn’t say. It turned out that the girl in charge was also the one who checked my book out for me, and we both recognized each other. She said this first meeting was really more to pick up the cookbook and answer questions, and not so much a formal meeting. We went to a room to chat more about it. I figured I would just meet the other members some other time.

As we talked, people started filtering into the room. Eventually there were eight of us seated around the table, and it turned into an actual meeting. And I’m so glad it did!

As we talked about how the club will work, we all started sharing little details about ourselves. (It was all women and no men, which kind of didn’t surprise me.) There was definitely a vibe of “I’m so glad to be meeting people and getting out of the house” from pretty much everyone. A lot of us were new to town, and there was a wide age range, which I was happy to see.

We eventually went around and introduced ourselves, and I found myself just fascinated and impressed with every woman there. All from different situations but all friendly, kind, and excited to be starting this group. And not everyone was an experienced, fancy baker or expert in the kitchen, so there wasn’t a competition type of vibe to it.

I was so happy that I didn’t feel on the outskirts, or like the only person who didn’t know everyone else. I think because so many of us were fairly new to town, we were all kind of in the same boat and really eager to meet new people.

We’re baking from a different book each month; this month’s book is called My Little Michigan Kitchen and I have a list of recipes I want to try. I’ve already made one (Chicken Purses) and it was fantastic, so I have high hopes! I’m not sure yet which recipe will be the one I make to bring to the next meeting in April. I want it to be easily portable, and not something that needs to be kept warm. On the other hand, I don’t want to make something similar to someone else or, for instance, a dessert if everyone else is making a dessert. We’ll be starting a Facebook group where we can share which recipe we’ve chosen, and that will probably help me decide.

I came home from the meeting on such a high. Apparently I was desperate to meet new people, more than I realized. There was a little of that euphoric relief you get when you’ve done something you were nervous about and it turns out to be way better than you expected, and also just general excitement because I really love to cook and I think this is going to be fun.

So I may not have found a grief group, but I did get myself out there and made some connections!

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