When we go anywhere nowadays, it’s a tad weird to not have like ten people around. I guess a group of eight is generally a decent sized group but to me it’s just an average size. We go everywhere with 10-20 people. Party to go right? I like it this way of course, how we call everyone within the vincinity to do something but it’s definitely skewed my sense of social groups. It’s hard for me to revel in the prospect of going out without thinking there will be tons of people going. I don’t expect to have to interact with anyone not with the “group.” Heck, half the time when we eat there are tons of people and we all sit at one big long ass table. I remember eating in some NYC diner once with everyone and the looks on the other people’s faces was like “Oh my #$@! The Yellow Peril is eating here?!?”



It makes planning and execution a little difficult but I think we’ve gotten group-think almost down to a science. A messy one, but a science nonetheless. The key is to get everyone to speak up and gather a quick consensus of opinion, translating that into efficient action. Hahahaha. Yeah right. So, then you can try walking in one direction hoping everyone will just follow out of habit. Again, the success rate of this manuever is very low. Invariably people start to get impatient and some people start to mumble and grumble. One small sect will threaten to secede, in hopes of pushing the group into action. This only serves to add to the confusion as everyone really just wants to stay together as one big whole. By now we have stood on the corner for a good ten minutes. One person, or a few people, will try to proactively assume a leadership position but generally their demands for opinions are lost in the hubbub of the various conversations and laughter. “What? What did you say? Haha! Wait, -blank- said something! Haha!!! Maybe we should pay attention…hahaha!” Fun. Eventually, fear of doing nothing will take over and people start to say, “I don’t care what we do, let’s just do something.” At this point, one person will suggest something (which has of course already been suggested five to a billion times) and everyone will say “Yeah!!! What a great idea! Let’s do that!” And off we go.



Quite simple really. While this method certainly has it’s down home appeal, there has to be a better way. Maybe we should try to get everyone to vote by some method. Or we’ll assign group leaders who represent the interests of their constituency. The best method yet is just to assign a president for the day and to let him/her make all the decisions. But then the president would be under pressure to ensure the happiness of others. I don’t know. I guess if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Patience is a virtue after all.