Not my people

I'll never forget the moment I really started to understand what the phrase "these are not my people" means. I was standing around with 3 coworkers and two were talking about going to Mammoth, as in Mammoth Mountain, as in snow and exercising outdoors. They paused at one point in the middle of their gushing about Mammoth to ask "What is the highway you take into Mammoth again? It's been so long..." and I looked at the other coworker who hadn't said a word since the beginning of the conversation and we both shrugged: Our people do not vacation in Mammoth. We take road trips and make things. While you are discovering the freshest snow, we are discovering the freshest pies. No judgement, it's just not our thing.

Lately I feel like I've been joining a lot of organizations that are filled with people who are not mine. Loud and lazy volunteer club, sorority-infused women's networking group etc. When we meet I want to be focused on what you're saying and the work we're doing and not on how meticulous your eye makeup is and how many times you've pretended not to hear someone calling your name for help with something heavy.

Maybe I've just become more of a hermit or maybe I'm displeased with the fact that these people, the ones I have a hard time getting motivated to being around, are the ones who will get me my next job. I feel like I'm not listening to my heart when I agree to spend more time with them but I also feel like I need to commit to these programs so I can truly decide if it's for me or not. I usually approach these situations like I did dating: we meet, I don't care for you, I don't try to force it, a second date is never set. But now I feel like I'm an adult and I will always have to work with people I don't care for so, might as well give it a try.

I met with someone from the sorority-infused women's networking group this morning who let me know our next conference call would be during my vacation - the only vacation I will likely take this year. I said "oh darn, I'll be out..." and she replied "CALL IN! Lots of people call in during vacation and travel because it's not really work!"

REALLY? The only time I've had off of work AND school since August of 2010 you're going to tell me that I should totally spend an hour plus talking about hot topics affecting women in the public sector? No offense...but I plan to be at Disneyland.

Little does she know how hard it was to even get excited about meeting and that I purposely dressed a little weird (business casual weird?) so she'd get the hint that I'm not her people. But maybe I sort of am?