FIND YOUR TRIBE

An exciting new movie, about a young girl who rebels against deb balls and beauty pagents in order to join a roller derby team, will be making its wide-release debut on October 9th. Whip It stars Juno's Ellen Page, is directed by Drew Barrymore, and at least part of it was filmed right here in Austin, Texas, home of Lonestar Rollergirls. If you have never attended a live roller derby meet, you just don't know what you're missing. We went to several in Houston, and let me tell you, that is some kick-ass fun!

There are several tag lines, such as "Be Your Own Hero", attached to this film, but the one that really strikes a chord with me is "Find Your Tribe", because that is exactly what happened to me when I came to Wimberley. According to an article on The Daily Om, we all strive for an individual identity, yet we also crave acceptance. It is only by "finding our tribe" that both desires are satisfied. Our tribe members are those people "who accept us as we are without reservation and gladly accompany us on our journeys of evolution. Among them, we feel free to be our imperfect selves." In my opinion, a tribe is the thing that saves us from feeling alienated from society.

In order to find one's tribe, you must look for the people who will lift you up, celebrate with you, and help you to grow and be the best you can be. We often have more than one tribe. Your family can be a tribe. Another could form around a shared passion. Perhaps you have a professional tribe that supports and mentors one another. I now have several tribes: the Muses, my blogosphere network, the Story Circle Network and the friends I have made through volunteering at The Bountiful Sprout. Sometimes we must leave one tribe behind, and search for a new one. My daughter was part of a tribe before we moved to Indonesia, but that experience changed her, and she was never able to fit back in to her old slot. So, she had to go in search of a new tribe. She found a wonderful one in the form of a youth theatre group called Pickwick Players, and later on in high school, fellow students in her AP art program became a lifelong tribe that has somehow managed to survive separation.

An important part of living the good life is making connections, forming relationships, and building community, but for some, meeting new people is a rather scary, uncomfortable thing. According to D'Arcy from Winnipeg the key is finding your tribe - a group of people that shares common interests and experiences, while showing genuine interest and care for the members of the tribe. You don't have to create your tribe, you just have to find it. "It exists. It's out there. There is a community of people that are waiting for you to join them. You just have to take the appropriate steps to make the tribe visible and obvious."

So what are you waiting for?