A friend recently convinced me to tag along to an event sponsored through a group on Meetup.com. My only previous experience with Meetup.com consisted of using it to find where fellow Philadelphia Eagles fans flock to watch games in NYC. The event that she wanted to go to, however, was a “mixer” if you will, for professional singles. (Let’s note that professional singles did not mean being an expert at being single; it was actually targeted toward single people who have a college degree and a job.)

My friend gave me very little info about the event. I was basically told where and when to show up. So, when we arrived, and even though I was there as a tag-along, I actually had butterflies. It felt like a giant blind date. And apparently she felt the same way: As we stood about 5 feet from the venue she turned and said, “Should we not go in?”

Butterflies or not, of course I glared at her and said “You dragged me this far,” and so we went in. Intimidation lasted about 30 seconds before my friend recognized the host of the group and he introduced himself. It was a slightly awkward setup as everyone who was there was seated around a giant table, making it impossible to mingle. However, more people began to arrive and we easily fell into conversation. Before I knew it, I discovered that most of us lived within a few neighborhoods of one another in Queens, one girl had a brother that attended my college while I was there, and another was an only child, who, of course I automatically clicked with.

There were only about 15 of us but by the end of the evening, 8 of us remained in a close circle, talking amongst ourselves. Were there any romantic sparks? I didn’t feel or see any. But, more importantly, I think we all felt an overall enjoyment of conversation and camaraderie; in a city of 8 million it can be, ironically, hard to find and make friends. Blame it on long hours in the office or simply moving to a large city where you don’t know anyone. To me, this “experiment” was amazing proof that as we unthinkingly pass hundreds of people every day, you never know who may be your next friend, lover, or simply, a person you may have a great conversation with.

I haven’t seen or talked to anyone I met there that night – yet. Hopefully this “meetup” group will continue and even forge relationships. What I took away from this experience is this: I always assumed there were other people in this city who wanted to meet new people and/or  find a significant others; however,  I did not realize that it would be so easy to connect with a group of random strangers. When conversation flows with strangers as if you have been friends for a long time, it is a comforting and exciting concept. I think it’s a feeling that many young or “new” New Yorkers can appreciate.

Check out meetup.com – and don’t be afraid to actually go in.

Posted by cher on Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 at 3:55 am.