I spent last weekend up in Utah for one of my best friend's weddings. Katie and I have been friends since high school woodshop, and have grown close since the creation of The Man Basket Society.
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Back in high school and college, I was a hermit. I had friends, but would spend days and weeks on end by myself, just to get away from all the drama and complications of having a social life. Even my voicemail stated, "I've moved to Hermitville to become a professional hermit. I'll call you back when I 'm feeling social."
Back in high school and college, I was a hermit. I had friends, but would spend days and weeks on end by myself, just to get away from all the drama and complications of having a social life. Even my voicemail stated, "I've moved to Hermitville to become a professional hermit. I'll call you back when I 'm feeling social."
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A few days after my 20th birthday, our good friend Kristi Green threw a New Year's Eve party at her apartment in SLC. Katie would not give up on convincing me to go (it's a good thing too, because that's where I met Steven). Katie, Stacy, and I went to the party, had a great time, and were utterly convinced that we should all get together again sometime. The Man Basket Society was born.
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The Man Basket Society has two distinct origins that have fused together into our own creation. Kristi and her sorority friends would jokingly talk about having the various men in their lives in a "Man Basket" through which no other girls may draw from. This is where The Man Basket Society gets its name. Mostly, this group was just 4 friends determined to stay friends forever. The second part is what "Man Basket" is all about. At Snow College, Stacy and her friends had a tradition of "owing" a treat during significant developments in their lives, i.e. a friend who had just kissed her new beau would owe the others ice cream. For other milestones, we have created a system of dues (pizza=I Love You, steak dinner=engagement, cake=baby).
A few days after my 20th birthday, our good friend Kristi Green threw a New Year's Eve party at her apartment in SLC. Katie would not give up on convincing me to go (it's a good thing too, because that's where I met Steven). Katie, Stacy, and I went to the party, had a great time, and were utterly convinced that we should all get together again sometime. The Man Basket Society was born.
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The Man Basket Society has two distinct origins that have fused together into our own creation. Kristi and her sorority friends would jokingly talk about having the various men in their lives in a "Man Basket" through which no other girls may draw from. This is where The Man Basket Society gets its name. Mostly, this group was just 4 friends determined to stay friends forever. The second part is what "Man Basket" is all about. At Snow College, Stacy and her friends had a tradition of "owing" a treat during significant developments in their lives, i.e. a friend who had just kissed her new beau would owe the others ice cream. For other milestones, we have created a system of dues (pizza=I Love You, steak dinner=engagement, cake=baby).
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***The Man Basket Society holds regular monthly meetings, with a rotation of who holds the meeting. The meetings have varied from sleepovers with chick flicks to dinner parties, and once we even held one at a Rascal Flatts concert. Each month, any dues are paid to the group as we catch up on our lives. The Man Basket Society is our special organization. It's almost sacred in the way we regard the ritual with reverence. It's very similar to the book/movie "Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants" (which by the way, came out AFTER we formed our group). Missing a Man Basket meeting is rarely excusable. One day a month is all we ask. We figure it's worth it to keep our friends forever.
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Weddings are an extra special occasion for The Man Basket Society. The night before we have a ritualistic "Man Basket Burning". This symbolizes the act of no longer having a pool of men to draw from, as we now dedicate our Man Basket to one special man for the rest of eternity.
Weddings are an extra special occasion for The Man Basket Society. The night before we have a ritualistic "Man Basket Burning". This symbolizes the act of no longer having a pool of men to draw from, as we now dedicate our Man Basket to one special man for the rest of eternity.
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One of the major downsides of living in Los Angeles is that I no longer am part of the regular monthly meetings, except via cell phone. Luckily, we arrange for meetings to take place when I am in town, but I miss the uniqueness of our "members only" club. I miss the group dynamics: Kristi, the creative one; Stacy, the good one, April (me), the athletic one; and Katie, the one who keeps us al together. Now that it has been a few years we have added a few more members; some new additions, like Ashley, who seems like she was always part us. Also we have some members that are more occasional---such as Emma, Katie's sister; Cindy, our friend from WJHS; or Esther, our British Babe. Even so, one things for certain: we are permanent.
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