Camaraderie

Forced camaraderie in large group settings has always seemed to me to be a chintzy notion. Everybody do the introduction game and hold hands and become best friends. Saying hello as assignment is one thing in which I respectfully will not participate. I am by no means antisocial. I may, in fact, have received a few too many hibitions and don't know when to stop. This evening I went to a Men's Chorus retreat. Now if you know nothing about the "Brotherhood of Men," a quick intro is required to fully appreciate the irony of my situation. Everyday we clap and cheer in warmups/announcements if a fellow brother has any important declaration ie marriage, baby, mission, second date.... We have our own lingo and inside jokes and may be one of the more camaraderous bunch on BYU campus. I feel torn when in this group of men because deep down I am quite repulsed by the mechanical introductions and get to know you games. Some would call this snobbish, but I have always had no trouble making friends and when it feels like i am forced to make them i resist with all my might. We had all these games and introductions at our retreat and for some reason I got into them and had fun without judging the activity and sulking. Now this may mean I am making real progress and growing up or it may mean that i care about my grades more than i originally thought. I don't think i will write down their phone numbers and become their best friends but maybe the activity is to help the people that aren't social butterflies, like my wife, to make a friend or study partner. I won't dig my heels in quite so far next time the magic talking marker is placed in my hands and i am supposed to give the room a quick synopsis of my dreams and sordid past.