A Member of the Club

Four Hundred Fifth Post: A Member of the Club (20080830)

There is a book called “The Mad Scientists’ Club”. In it a group of kids get together and go on some grand adventures like making a UFO or finding an atomic bomb. When I was in the 4th grade, I found this book in our school library. A good find considering our library only had about 7 interesting books in all.

There were 2 Mad Scientists books in the library, that is, if you could get your hands on one. It was a popular book. Well me and my friends were inspired by the book and decided to make our own club. There were about 5 of us. We called ourselves “The Wolverines”. Long story short one member moved away, we got older, and we never had adventures as grand as the Mad Scientist.

But I did learn some things. The idea of a group as a kid is fun. Of course the activities of the club are more fun than when you’re an adult and have to join a club. Some people call this club a job. Ideally it’s a career and you are fulfilling those child hood dreams. But if not don’t worry we tend to belong to many groups, one of which is the family.

I joined the Army Reserves at 17. This was the biggest club I have ever joined. All my childhood dreams of what is was like to go on adventures with the club you belong to were in my thoughts. However this club was a bit more serious. The first day of my Basic Training our Drill Sergeant met us with a face covered in cammo. He was the only Drill Sargent with cammo because he had been running exercises out in the field. He left quite a first impression on us.

Latter that night we met our second Drill Sergeant. Before I had left for Basic Training, everyone said the Army training was watered down from what it used to be. Tell that to these two Drill Sergeants! We were up over an hour doing exercise because we did not shut out the lights in time. I found it impressive that they could yell at us as a group and yet still find the time to yell at us individually.

Long story short, we all join clubs in our life. Some are not as innocent and fun as when we are kids. Later, most are often more serious and demand us to be an adult. Which is ok, because it is a different time in our life. And you can belong to as many clubs as you like. What’s important is that you make the most of your membership.