Quite the little joiner, aren't we?

Like most teenage high school students, I was desperate to be liked. I would go to ridiculous ends to make sure that the girls in my class thought that I was cool. I would give them my notes from class (if they were too lazy to take their own) and I'd be devastated if it was alleged that I'd done something to upset one of my school chums. And given that I went to an all-girls Catholic high school, this sort of psychological warfare happened often.

As the years rolled on and on, I came to see my high school 'friends' for what they really were and I'm pleased to say that I moved on and away from them, never once looking back. Of course there are times I'm curious about what they're up to, but I have never felt any pangs of nostalgia or any need to catch up over coffee and cake. Please, who would I be kidding?

And so here I am, a million miles away or more and happily leading my own life, going wherever the plane schedules or job opportunities take me. Quite the independent, self-sufficient mistress of my own destiny, right?

So can someone please explain to me why it is that I am so taken with the idea of joining the Union League Club of Chicago all of a sudden?!

The exclusive and private club promotes professional and personal networking as well as offering members full use of some pretty snazzy fitness facilities. At the time you seek membership, you're also asked to nominate whether you want to sign up to discussion groups so you can meet people that like literature or travel or wine just like you do. Sounds just like me so far, right?

But the weirdest part is this. Your membership needs to be endorsed by two existing members, AND you need the approval of the Membership Director (after a one-on-one meeting with her) before you're allowed to have your membership. Simply offering to pay your dues once a month is not good enough for this lot. And yet I'm still keen to join, so I'm going to the elegant New Member Reception on tonight.

So here I am, in a fix. The pool is really neat, the 'discussion groups' and many and varied, and I really do want to meet legitimate and honest people who share my interests. But I do I really want to go through all this hoop-jumping just to get there? My boss is a member, and delighted in telling me that the ULCC is the quintissential "boy's club" and he thinks it's highly amusing that I'd consider joining. But he hastened to add that he would wholeheartedly endorse my membership form (my boss and his wife are on a mission to find me a rich husband, as you can tell). Amidst all the chesterfield couches and the spiral staircases is a Club that is steeped in tradition, elegance, and culture.

The library is stacked high with classics and an impressive collection of CDs and DVDs that members are welcome to borrow. There are yoga and pilates classes held weekly, and you can even get a haircut and manicure on-site. Very interesting and very tempting and so very chic.

All I've done is look on the website and gaze in the windows. Now it's time to dress to impress and get a well-heeled foot in the door. After five years of high school, I'm straight back in the "please like me" camp. Oi vey.