Having a Tribe is like having yourself cloned, sort of. On some level the people you “hang” with move about and think (almost) exactly the same way you do. You tend to speak the same lingo because you share the same interests or maybe you work together or belong to a gym or a chorus or a golf league…you get the idea.
I belong to several Tribes. My “friends” Tribe outweighs all the rest**. We’re really really old…friends. We’ve known each other for years, a few from grade or middle school. We have history as they say. Cannot embellish local lore with this group.
We define ourselves uniquely due to our tight geography. The new restaurant is the former other restaurant before it was the other restaurant but for my friends, we call it what it was growing up: A liquor store. In this neck of the woods, a “packie” where underage drinking was treated as a menace by the police. They dumped out our beer and told us to go home. Most of us did because the cop knew all of our parents — the went to school together. These are the stories our Tribe shares with minimal explanation.
My screenwriting Tribe is an eccentric global bunch. Some are extremely helpful with resources and thoughtful critiques. Others are blatantly evil, afraid of their own shadows, worried someone will steal their idea for a Zombie movie that takes place in Manhattan. I’m going to pass on this one, so my drama-comedy is probably not going to interest ZekeZomb in New Zealand. My writing Tribe relies on the give and take which helps improve everyone’s chances of writing a successful screenplay, or wasting a forest of trees in the process, which we all agree on.
My blogger Tribe is another mix of Moms, Business Entrepreneurs, “Influencers” and (secretly) I follow some heady bloggers: Marketing Guru Seth Godin, Joanna Gaines (The Queen of Shiplap), a bunch of “famous” actors who help writers (Kevin Spacey) and other writers who also crossover into my Screenwriting Tribe when they are not being super silly spending crazy moola on a pair of shoes to post to Instagram.
**My Family Tribe is hands down favorite because they will choose the best retirement village someday with whatever money I leave them to do it. This is motivation for contributing to a Tribe regularly.
I have mini seasonal Tribes, too. Beach Tribe, a Let’s go out for Apps and Wine because it’s Thursday Tribe, a Walking Tribe, a Traveling Tribe. Some number only two or three. But each is an wonderful group that I can call on for the purpose of the association and they will do the same.
This blog, and the Facebook site that connects it, is my budding Tribe at the moment. It’s building slowly. People like some posts and share posts with their own Tribe. Some shoot me a note or post a comment. They are kind and sweet and thoughtful and caring and funny and insightful. If you’re here with me, please know you matter to me and to the others who spend time here. They thank you (I am sure) and I thank you (for sure!).
A Tribe takes time to build. The members you invite to join your Tribe or the Tribe you are graciously invited to join –a coffee party, business incubator, cycling club, wine tasters or a Friday night Cribbage — become a Tribe of dear friends.You rely on them and vice-versa. Treat them well and in kind they will do the same for you.
Oh yeah, the liquor store in town is long gone, but if you take a right and keep going, there’s another liquor store right next to the movie theater, that is no longer there, of course. My old Tribe knows exactly where.
BE F-G AWESOME TODAY!
Original graphic and quote: Stephanie DelTorchio
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