When I was younger I had a friend with whom I would stay when my parents were out of town.  His mom raised Pomeranian show dogs.  One time I was visiting when they were attending a dog show and they took me with them. This was the first of many times that I learned or had reinforced the same lesson about humans - we need to belong and we will go to great lengths to gather with others who find what we love to be of interest.

Our son plays each year in the Centerville Bluegrass Blowout.  I told someone the other day that the event is exciting because the students get to perform with a major recording artist.  I paused and then finished that sentence with "in bluegrass."  There are likely billions of people who have never heard a bluegrass tune and millions who listen to bluegrass everyday (click on link above to see the Centerville Alternative Strings perform with Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers).

Our daughter performs with her high school drumline. Similarly there is an entire subculture devoted to drumline that believes the activity has great merit and value, while many of you have never heard a drumline perform (click on link above to see unique "drum cam" perspective on a performance).

My point: You may bowl, you may knit, you may attend a Bible study, you may geocache, you may cross-country ski, you may write poetry, you may dress up like an alien from Star Wars, but hopefully somewhere you have found kindred spirits with whom to identify and in that context your life gains meaning.

I may never attend another dog show, but I don't disparage those for whom it is a deeply meaningful gathering (OK, there may be moments of disparagement, but nothing that is meant seriously).

Have you found your community?  Being alone is unhealthy physically, spiritually, emotionally.  We were not designed for isolation.

Encourage your children to find their niches. They may move from sphere to sphere over time as one community gains and then loses value in their lives, but encourage them to make the most of life's dog shows!