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This page is intended on providing the LocSec with a way to express their ideas and communicate information to both the general public and Mensans. Remember, Mensa does not hold any opinion, nor does it express any political or religious views; but I do and should you read further you will run into a few of them here.

Sincerely, Betsy McCall

DATABANK: File 12: Strange People

Published: 7/26/2009 - Modified: 07/21/2009

Those of you that know me well will not be surprised at what I’m about to say; those that know me less well may be: I don’t really like people. Yes, I’m Local Secretary of Columbus Area Mensa and I dislike people.

It’s not really “people” in general that I don’t like. It’s specifically strangers. Yes, I am an introvert. My mother used to like to tell stories about how, when I was a baby, I wouldn’t let anyone but people I knew hold me (like my parents, and regular babysitter). Even my grandmother would provoke terrified screaming, or just hiding when I was a little older. "Tell that strange woman not to talk to me!"

The irony is not entirely lost on me that now I teach for a living. Public speaking, the shy person’s worst nightmare, is something I do now every day. I learned to do it without thinking because I had to. It did not, however, change the underlying problem. I go out and do things, often on my own, and face down the strangers. No offense to anyone I don’t know. I really can’t help the way my brain works.

I do enjoy being around people I know, have things in common with, especially if I can hang out with them on a regular basis. Spending 24/7 alone really sucks. But, getting past the “I can’t stand to be around strangers” thing in order to get to that point is a hard slog, through hours or even months of relative discomfort.

It would be less unpleasant, I suppose, with a network of friends who could play screener for me, and introduce me to one new person at a time when they were around. That would be a manageable chunk to handle without serious side effects, and without feeling totally overwhelmed. But that strategy doesn’t work so well until you build up that large network of friends. An introvert who wishes to crossover from Point A (the land of isolation) to Point B (the land of having friends) must of necessity learn to cross the minefield in between on their own.

What to do?

Try choosing small groups of people who already have something in common with you. Someplace with food is always nice because it’s easy to cover up awkward moments. There are a lot of such opportunities in Columbus Area Mensa, especially the Special Interest Groups. Can We Talk? is good. It tends to have an older crowd, but it mercifully does not require an advance RSVP (I hate calling people on the phone even more!). For younger members (GenX and GenY), the Ethnic Dining SIG doesn’t meet as often, but those who do attend tend to be the under 45 crowd, and you can RSVP to Wendy, the organizer, by email. Games Night is also a great place if you like games; they can be a ready distraction from the social awkwardness, especially if you have your own favourite game to teach everyone else.

In addition to the SIGs, our group has new member parties a couple times a year. I personally found the first one I went to rather overwhelming: there were too many people for me even though everyone was really nice. I couldn’t remember anyone’s name once I left, though. But if you’ve got a friend to take with you, that can help a lot.

And why not strike up a conversation over email first? Or plan your own outing? We have Yahoo! Groups for planning events and discussion. Not sure about meeting us in person? Try getting to know us over email. It seems like it sometimes, but we really don’t bite!

Whether you are new or just haven’t been participating, it’s never too late to get started. And just so you know, a lot of us, not just me, know what it’s like to walk into a room full of strangers and think “what the f*** am I doing here?” That moment is the hardest. It gets easier.

DATABANK: File 11: The End Of The Year

Published: 6/26/2009 - Modified: 07/21/2009

For us here at Columbus Area Mensa ExComm, July marks the end of the year. As I write this, we are awaiting petitions for the new Executive Committee. There are likely to be some old faces returning, and some new ... More

DATABANK: File 10: Disaster!

Published: 5/01/2009 - Modified: 05/27/2009

Watching the public response to the swine flu recently has got me thinking about the way humans respond to apparent threats. We see a lot of both extremes in the media. Some people panic and react in essentially irrational ways to protect themselves, while others dismiss all ... More

DATABANK: File 9: Critical Thinking

Published: 5/01/2009 - Modified: 05/19/2009

I'm teaching an English class online right now, and other than the mountains of grading, I'm really enjoying it. One of my favorite parts is that in addition to teaching the students how to write well mechanically, the students are also learning about critical thinking, so that ... More

DATABANK: File 8: Unlucky Numbers

Published: 4/01/2009 - Modified: 05/19/2009

We are all familiar with the Western tradition of thirteen being the unlucky number that makes some people apoplectic. Buildings are numbered without a thirteenth floor, and ... More

DATABANK: File 7: Pythagoras

Published: 3/01/2009 - Modified: 05/19/2009

Ive been teaching trigonometry this quarter, and you know, everything in trigonometry goes back to Pythagoras. Perhaps not directly, but a lot is built on the Pythagorean Theorem, which is where most of us begin ... More

DATABANK: File 6: Climate Change

Published: 1/23/2009 - Modified: 05/12/2009

As I write this, it is just four days before the inauguration of a new President, and a radical shift in climate change policy for this country is about to take place, as evidenced by the Cabinet and advisory choices like Steven Chu, and John Holdren. It seems an appropriate coincidence ... More

DATABANK: File 5: Janus

Published: 12/24/2008 - Modified: 05/12/2009

It’s the new year and that means, it’s January. We think of January as being the obvious start of the new year, but in fact, the Roman calendar upon which our modern one is based did not begin in January. The Roman year began in March, with the spring. That’s why astrological calendars ... More

DATABANK: File 4: Tradition

Published: 11/24/2008 - Modified: 05/12/2009

As I write this, we are still two weeks away from Thanksgiving, and a few more weeks after that is the winter holiday season when it seems like everyone has a holiday, or indeed, has an excellent excuse to celebrate several simultaneously. This time of year is steeped in centuriesold traditions—some of them are even millennia-old. The marketplace depends on ... More

DATABANK: File 3: Voting Theory

Published: 10/24/2008 - Modified: 05/12/2009

In this month when we celebrate democracy, it seems like a good time to talk about the theory behind how we vote. ... More


Last modified: July 21st, 2009