Paranormal and the Jedi Knights

  I hope I am not naive when I suggest that the "meet-up group" is unique to New York City. 

  Jordan actually was the first person to join a meet-up a few months ago.  She found one where people interested in practicing their Japanese language skills would meet to only speak in Japanese.  She had joined their website and RSVP'ed to the meet-up date, but when she had to cancel later than the 24 hour window allowed because she got called into work they booted her out of the group.  Harsh.

  She also joined a meet-up for anime.  If you know anything about this genre you will understand my concern for her going to this meeting. Once you have joined the meet-up group online you are able to see who has accepted the invitation for the next meeting.  In this case Jordan said the members that had RSVP'ed were seven men all above the ages of 40 years old.  I asked her if she really thought 40 year old men would be there to discuss Miyazaki's latest films or would they more likely be there to discuss anime commonly seen on Adult Swim. At 22 she does not have to listen to her mother, but in this case I'm glad she did.

  One of the things that I had looked forward to in finding a job was making new friends.  In November with no job prospects in-sight I decided to find a meet-up group where I might meet some people with a common interest. Since our adventures at the Stanley Hotel last winter I have had a renewed interest in the paranormal so I searched for a NYC Ghost Hunters Meet-Up. 

  My first meet-up with the group was in November.  It was a lively group with everyone eager to go around the table and to introduce themselves and to share a paranormal experience. I was very excited when a self professed psychic said that when I walked into the restaurant she whispered to her husband that she saw that I had a spirit attached to me.  Spooky, but all in all it was a lot of fun.

  This month it was a little different if for no other reason than Jordan decided to come with me.  There were not as many people so everyone had an opportunity to talk a little more.

  BUT... there was this one kid (and I say "kid" because he was in his 20's and socially immature) who had to interject his own story on top of everyone else's experience.  Ok, so maybe he has some disorder and I'm dismissing him as annoying, but I don't care. It was driving me crazy.

  Another interesting character was the group's resident psychic named Victor, but he dismissed some people like John Edwards who I actually like, so that turned me off a bit and he started talking about UFO's which I just don't see the connection between ghost and ET. He was nice and interesting, but he is no Chip Coffee (host of Paranormal Kids).

  There was a beautiful Hispanic girl named Isis who was there for the first time.  She had some very interesting stories, but her voice was so soft that I thought I was listening to Janet Jackson.

   The most ditrubing new face was Salvador.   He is a member of the ghost hunting team, although I wasn't ever able to catch what his skills are and he did not share any experiences.  When he first walked in he looked directly at me and we had an extended eye contact.  I am not making that up because Jordan confirmed it to me after the meeting.  I've always wondered if a psychic or an intuitive sees a negative aura around a person do they tell the stranger or do they just walk away. The fact that his eyes locked on me when he first walked in but he never spoke to me afterwards totally spooked me out.

  Last month I thought the leader of the group, Dom, was kind of weird and bossy, but he seemed to have eyes for Jordan, so this time he was all smiles and light, which made him much more palatable. I admit that I can be (on occasion) bossy, so maybe I saw myself in him.  But this time I quite enjoyed his tales of ghost hunting, including a large number of stories of lonely people who contact the Paranormal Society looking for someone to come to their house for a brief exchange of companionship.

  Please visualize that over the course of the evening I am kicking Jordan under the table whenever anyone says anything that I think is weird or I disagree with, which was almost the whole time.

  To add to the absurdity of the evening, half way through our two hour meeting another meet-up group comes in.  For some reason the Skylight Diner on West 34th Street is the most popular spot for a wide variety of groups.  So at nine o'clock a large group begins to arrive.  Dom said, "Oh, no I forgot.  Tonight the Jedi Knight meet-up group is having their gathering.."  When he said that I immediately visualized a troop of Star Wars nerds filling the place.  It was so strangely the opposite.  I think the criteria to be in the group was not only a love for Star Wars, but to be between the ages of 21 and 30, gay, and gorgeous.  It was like being at an Abercrombie & Fitch staff meeting.

   But this is what I love about New York.  On a Monday night in January at a diner off the beaten path you can get a crazy collection of New Yorkers out to meet and to be met.  Pick your interest.  I'm sure there is a meet-up group for you.