Funny the stories that stick with you over the years. Have any of you read West of Eden by Harry Harrison? That’s WEST of Eden. Published by Bantam in 1984, it’s a marvelous piece of science fiction set in the prehistoric past. The book seems never to have made it into paperback. One of the key ideas in the book was the “early childhood” of the main characters, which took place in the ocean, where the characters were raised in “pods” of children, such that as an adult the protagonist creatures felt very close to those who had been in the same pod with them.
I’m reminded of this when I consider how comfortable I have felt with a particular group of women I knew in high school, as we gather again for another Girl Scout reunion. When we, in our sixties now, get together, there is nothing but good feeling. We had our own pod.
There was a lot more to West of Eden than that, but that part did stay with me. Just like the good feelings have stayed. I like knowing this particular truth, that when a group of people work/play together with a common goal, what lives on are good memories and forever connections. The more groups we can honestly and even partially participate in, the better. Too bad I didn’t recognize that, growing up. I left the Girl Scouts in ninth grade, and ever after, until recently, tended toward avoiding groups. I’ve started seeing the error of my ways. And, happily, the group I left so early still welcomes me back. I’ll be seeing them later this month.
