I never fit into any of the standard clicks of high school. My athletic skills were not nimble enough to belong to the jocks, while my Trekian’s skills were non existent so the nerds were out of the questions, and I wore white in the winter so you could forget about the Fashionista’s. It was difficult because by not belonging to a click I didn’t know which table to sit at for lunch or who I was supposed to hang out with over the weekends. Clicks made life easier for many young people because they knew where they belonged.
As an adult those clicks still do exist but there are just many more and you have the opportunity to belong to more then one. Today I guess I’m part of my Shul Click, Art Click, Political Click and even my Family Click (if my children let me in). I believe it’s a natural impulse to want to belong with others that share the same interest as you and also comforting to know that others share your passions. The problem with clicks as a whole is it can lead to “group think” where individuality is discouraged by the leader and also become claustrophobic as the world around your click closes. To conclude I believe it’s wonderful to have those special times with friends and associates that share the black and white but sometimes it’s also wonderful to explore the other colors and see the world around us as well. So the next time you’re debating the last episode of Star Trek or exploring the newest fashion craze go outside with a new friend and just smell the roses.
