Lucky Me

Uni opened up so many doors and not all of them academic. There was a social side that I wasn’t expecting. I thought my age would isolate me, what young uni student would want to hang out with someone their mum’s age? So I was surprised to find myself making friends (and not all of them mature age students either). These lovely people became firm friends who still drop in for coffee and a chat or invite me out, even though I’m finished my degree. It’s a blessing to still be making friends at nearly 50 which often prompts me to say, lucky me.

Another door that uni opened was to a bookclub – BookFreaks we call it – founded through a mutual love of reading. Last time we had such a good time discussing Middlesex, laughing and shouting and talking exuberantly all at once yet also sharing serious, quiet moments that the subject matter demanded. It’s my fellow freakets who make each night a joyous event. We’re blessed in a number of ways: we have a man in our group who brings a unique perspective that balances our discussion; we’re made up of Mums and children, when your adult children choose to spend time with you it’s a gift beyond measure; we’re not all readerly readers, some listen to the audio books, some ‘read’ the movie but all bring something interesting to the table. We listen to each other and, joy of joy, we argue!

Ask anyone, they’ll tell you I’m not shy with my opinions but, instead of shying away from them, the freakets confront my, often belligerent opinions, and gently argue: constructively,in a way which informs my thinking and often modifies my opinion, proving there is always more than one way to approach something. We’ve just started giving our rating on the book before AND after discussion which is such a good idea because it will demonstrate the affect we have on each other.

Conversation is a dying art as our lives are subsumed in electronic media so I consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to spend an evening with such erudite, vibrant and generous friends – lucky me.