Recently in Boston Category

I've moved around a lot in the last few years, so finding new people and places has been challenging. My medicine is a meetup, taken as needed.

What is a "meetup" you ask? Meetups are special interest activity groups where membership is free and there is no commitment. Perfect for busy people.

Meetups are an automatic way to find like-interested compadres. You don't have to know anyone to be received as a new friend. People extend their hand and introduce themselves immediately. Everyone is in the fold.

Leaders set the tone. A leader is a crazy and selfless person who is willing to put all these activities into the calendars of the disenfranchised. They are the go-to people at an event.

From what I understand, meetups are intended to be social clubs. There is a de facto "no meat market" law. In fact, sometimes groups get a slap on the wrist for treating as such. I wouldn't rule out meeting a romantic partner, but that's not what they're about.

Meetups www.meetup.com

MY FAVORITES
Florida
Outdoor Adventurers Klub (OAK) -- adventurers.meetup/94
Blues of South Florida Meetup -- blues.meetup.com/87
Coffee & Creative Minds -- coffee.meetup.com/300
Prime Timers Social Club -- www.friends.meetup.com/514
South Florida Kayaking Meetup -- kayaking.meetup.com/130
Film, Theater, Culture -- theater.meetup.com/108

Boston
Boston/Cambridge Ethnic Food Meetup Group -- diningout.meetup.com/364
Women Sports Meetup -- womensports.meetup.com/30

Cultural events can be quite pricey, but I've always had a bargain outlet wherever I've lived - Manhattan, Boston, and now in Ft Lauderdale. They're all are must-buy deals if you live in the local areas. To do the cities justice I'm devoting one blog to each of the three. Tip # 1 is for Boston -- simply because it is finish first!

Museum of Fine Arts (MFA). I had just moved to Boston and was starving for cultural pleasures. It's Boston -- they had to be there. But where?

I finally got my butt to the MFA. "Fashion Photography" was on special exhibit. At $25 it was a bit excessive but turned out to be worth it. The energy. The imagination. The curation.

The love fest continued after the show when I made the pilgrimage to the museum store - my temple. I was sure to spend more money than justifiable on books, jewelry, and creative gifts for people for no reason.


When I went to pay they asked me if I was a member. Apparently I would get 20% off (a special promotion that week) my pile of goods. Savings added up to about $18. So I ask the requisite question - how much?

Membership was $70. For that I would get:

• Free museum entry ($15)
• Free special exhibits for two ($25 each)
• 40% discount on music and film
• 10% off store and restaurant
• VIP lounge with wireless (possibly the most valuable benefit)

Hmmm...I had already spent $43 of it. One more special exhibition will more than pay for membership. Then a light bulb went off -- there may be another perk. Maaaaaybe my guest at special exhibits would buy me a meal or drink at the restaurant. Tacky, entitled, and wishful thinking - I know. But the food was delectable, the menu was innovative, and the execution artistic. (By the way, I have very generous friends). It was a treat -- dutch  or not.

Membership? It was a no-brainer.

Forgetting museum admission, membership paid off. I was a regular at the film fests and alternative music concerts, which were usually intellectually accessible to us common folk. The films were true independents - you know, the kind that cost 5k, which took the director a year to raise.


Here's an example: I saw a film about an African young man who, after his father's death, finds out that he has 49 brothers and sisters. Well, he sets out to meet them all. It wasn't clear whether he did, but cultural disparity between how he was received by the siblings and their mothers there verses how he might have been here was riveting.

Now let's get real. When you see these things your ego inflates. Wow, aren't I cool? But it was an authentic glimpse into a world that, sadly few would see -- I am truly privileged.

This membership was a meaningful gift to me from me.