Many times, I have written about the concept of the "home team" when it comes to tackling family life - and how important it is to see ourselves as a member of a team. I truly feel like this shifts our thinking to doing what is best for the whole - and pushes us to work for synergy in our family. So (especially when the kids are so young), being a team player often means putting our own activities aside long enough to help everyone. For me, that meant that playing pub trivia on weeknights was not in the cards for several years.But now that the kids are older, I have been able to reassemble a group of guys to join me for trivia once or twice a month. Eating nachos, having a pint, and answering questions about history, music, geography, pop culture, and sports is not a bad way to spend an evening - and it is good for my soul.
At the risk of generalizing, I've often felt that menfolk are not nearly as adept as the women at organizing events simply for fellowship and camaraderie. It seems that we usually need to be "doing something." So meeting for lunch is not typically something that most of my guy friends find appealing (though I would be totally into it). To deal with this, I started inviting these guys to play trivia (starting around 2011), a fun diversion that is also just a way to catch up over food and drink.
Our go-to trivia is Quizzo at Jack of the Wood, but we try them all. Sometimes there are eight of us, and sometimes there are only two, but I am so glad that we continue to make it happen. Our results are mixed: from winning the belt at Kipper's last summer (see pic above), to finishing at the bottom of the table on other nights. But it makes me a better father and husband - as I come home more engaged and excited.
At the end of the day - opportunities to learn something new, and make time for friends, remains time well spent.
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