Cliquety Clique...

So I've been talking with my kids a lot lately about cliques - how they start, how they make people feel, etc. and I realized today that cliques don't disappear when you become an adult. Far from it. They are everywhere! For instance, in my spinning class, there is a "back row" clique. Now they're not Mean Girls or anything close to that (they're not even all female :) ) but they have an obvious camaderie based on a shared passion for spinning and a friendship from doing this frequently together. So, rather than feel intimidated and heading back to the anonymity of the Fitness Centre, I took my own advice and reached out to make a few new friends. And guess what? Not hard to do! I made myself an active part of the class (clapping, cheering, answering the teacher's questions) and chatted to the women on either side of me. Did we form a new clique? No, and I wouldn't want to. But I definitely feel welcome there!