Cobourg and I are not getting along!
The local free publications don't need another opinion-piece-writer. The neighbourhood school hasn't called yet, and we all know what happened at the art gallery. Most importantly, my small-town romantic fantasy remains sterile. No handsome out-of-towner, no prominent local, not even an inappropriately younger country boy! Only a few rejectee barflies who return the following week with women half-my age, just to prove a point! I certainly have picked the wrong season to raise my standards!
So, when a friendly neighbour invited me to check out Probus, I agreed. Not in the hope of meeting someone, but in order to find out what else I could do with my time, aside from taking pictures, eating and cursing at the TV.
Probus is a large social group that meets twice a month, at 9am, in Cobourg Lion's Community Centre. It has a board of directors, a few committees, a treasurer, a monthly newsletter and a vast calendar of events (lunches, brunches, dinner-theatres, concerts, trips). Most members are in their seventies, but they are astonishingly fit and chic. No signs of stretch pants or polyester. I'm talking designer frames, colour coordination, accessories, decent haircuts and quite a bit of makeup!
The meeting started with the singing of the national anthem, which reminded me of school, and then went on and on, which also reminded me of school! It seems that reading off handouts is a common practice, at any meeting. Right before reaching the edge of boredom, I heard the words "decorating" and "Halloween". My raised hand was met with applause! The lady in charge, happy to have found a juvenile volunteer, took down my name and number!
The meeting ended with a long, dry presentation, to raise funds for a charitable organization. That also reminded me of school.
Except for the picture of Queen Elizabeth, who kept looking at me disapprovingly, the white tablecloths and fresh danishes, it seemed as if I had sat through a staff meeting at school.
Do I really want to join another institution?
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