Resident is Met with Obstacle After Obstacle in Starting Social Club

Homeowners Associations Forget that People Knew How to Enjoy their Lives Before  "Rules"  Came Along

Within the past few days,  a resident as worked tirelessly with a number of others to bring residents of Sun City Anthem together, not in a political manner, but is a social setting to allow people to be themselves, enjoying themselves...in the way they want to enjoy themselves....

...by starting a new social club whose mission statement...before it went before a "committee" was....

"Our goal is to provide members an opportunity to "stay young" by providing them opportunities to enjoy active affordable local Las Vegas entertainment, dances, and trips to surrounding areas, with the ultimate objective of promoting resident friendship and togetherness, while making every possible attempt to remain "alive" as long as possible."

And then...the RULES and COMMITTEES stepped in !

Dan Roberts, publisher of The Vegas Voice, added a comment on the Anthem Today forum that, when combined with the efforts of various residents to start a new social club, were met with objection after objection.

And both have been met with what I will refer to as CHILDISH behavior on the part of those who frankly, HAVEN'T A CLUE as to what is, and what is not, a GOOD TIME...in the minds of a lot of people.

...yet...wish to "legislate" how that is to be defined by those whose lives have been structured and controlled every step of the way by others who, in the opinion of fun-loving and easy going people, are as BORING and CONTROLLING as them.

"Why don't you do this ?"

"Why can't you do that?" 

"They do that, so you can't do this"

This is what you have to go through TO HAVE FUN ????

Why do you often disagree with others who set community policy ?

We get those types of questions all the time.

So...I thought I would address those questions once and for all. 

First and foremost, we somehow got to this point in our lives because we MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING RIGHT --- we are INDIVIDUALS defined by our successful careers, where friendships were defined by a handshake or by associating with those who had similar interests...

...we met our friends by saying "hello" and being neighborly toward others, and have cultivated those relationships because WE LIKED PEOPLE...

...not by a "club" who had a defined set of rules, whose actions over time in many cases, have evolved into creating some form of social circle that does little other than BACK BITE one another time after time. 

We "did our own thing"...and made a flock of friends in the process---real friends, those who can be counted on under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, and who are always there for you in an hour of need. 

We watch their homes and pick up their mail for them when they are out of town; we try to help them when something breaks; we get them to the airport when they don't have a ride; and often call them to join us for a casual meal or ice cold beer.

...and to others who define "fun" differently than we do, we merely say...

"Fine, no problem, we won't tell you how to lead your life, just allow us to live ours the way we choose to...as long as it doesn't violate any legal and moral boundary."

We don't have to be told where we want to eat, or where we should go for entertainment.

We pay for this place just like all the rest of you do, and we just want to use it...like the rest of the "clubs" do....FREE of CHARGE...because IT'S OURS TOO !

And RIDICULOUS as this might sound...

...to do that...we have to start a CLUB  !!!! 

Other than the "game" that has to be played in order to use OUR OWN PROPERTY, we couldn't care less about the word "club".

We've never needed one to have FUN...

...yet there is a certain element, normally associated with "social outcasts" who have been unable to mingle with "normal" people in their lives....

...some distorted psychological belief that it is now "their turn" to make up for their being alienated by "normal" people...

...and that "their code" is the "only code",..to live by.

Want an example ? 

Go to some committee or board meetings and view most of the audience.

Gaze at the audience and look carefully.  Most are the same ones over and over again, about 35-40 of them, who define a "good time" as going to a meeting on a bright sunshiny day...

...watching others making up "rules" for others...

...others who JUST WANT TO play cards, shoot pool, play mah jongg, enjoy tennis or bocce, take a swim, go to the fitness areas, casinos, afternoon shows, the Strip....whatever !

And to those individuals....good for you.  Different strokes for different folks !

If that's what you enjoy, enjoy it...and if you really crave making "rules" as a form of  "entertainment", why don't you start your own club?

I'm sure you'll find at least 35 of you with similar interests that can congregate at a social function to make "rules", talk about "rules", and even complain about those who don't follow "rules"....

..perhaps even calling yourselves,  the "I need rules to have fun Club".

But...GIVE THE REST OF US A BREAK....and...GIVE IT A REST ALREADY !

Let people have FUN the way they choose to do so, and look for reasons to ALLOW THEM TO HAVE THAT FUN, not reasons to outlaw it.

Treat them like FELLOW OWNERS, not your humble servants.

So...try our rules....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iWrIfEgFlQ

...you might actually be able to have more fun !

Dick Arendt