I don't need a fandom

Lights are on in a tiny little room. There is a petite figure of a man sitting by the dusty old table with chairs around it. He seemed calm and nervous at the same time. In front of him are a box of cookies and three milk cartons.

The door opened startling the tiny man. First came in a man with a serious look on his face, it seemed as if he was about to solve world hunger and the answer was right here, but he just didn’t know where. The other young man with disheveled hair followed him in.

“Oh great, everyone is present and we can start the meeting.” said the serious looking man.

“I am so excited that you are all here. I cant wait to share all the...” The petite man started but got interrupted by the serious man.

“Yes, I am happy to be here too Safi, however I have to welcome everyone back to the ‘New Years Resolutions Hardcore Fanatics Club.’ Let me open this meeting with the agenda. First we will get the milk and cookies out for everyone, than we will shortly address the last year resolutions and than we will discuss the New Years resolutions, and than the meeting will be adjourned, this is a perfect format and I have to say it has been working well for the last 10 years.”

Safi got very excited and started clapping. The serious man sat down and began to go through his folder as if there was a world leaders’ summit. The disheveled young man was sitting and smiling, he was very enthused about the meeting but didn't want to interrupt everyone's joyous harmony by jumping up and down. Shari got up, and almost danced through the room, gave out cookies and milk while every one settled in.

The door opened again, now, startling everyone. The serious man looked around the room counting the members and seemed to be puzzled by the opened door. The smile flew off of the disheveled young man’s face and Shari stopped his very important task and seemed to be lost. All stared at the neat looking man who entered.

“You might be lost sir, do you need help?” Said the serious looking man trying to disarm the appeared threat in the door.

“Is this ‘The New Years Resolution Hardcore Fanatics Club.’?” The neat looking man asked.

“Yeeees?” answers with a question the very serious and alarmed looking man.

“Great! Than I am at the right place. Hello, my name is Ethan, and I am a very new club member.”

Everyone stared at him while he made his way to the table to sit down. Ethan put his backpack on the floor next to one of the chairs and sat while the group studied him very carefully. The serious man collected him self and began to speak:

“As I have said, welcome everyone, I am Rick. Let us begin. Ethan, since you are a new member, why don't you open the meeting with your last year resolutions?”

The neat looking man got up, put his backpack on the chair and began to place items from the backpack on to the table. There was a planner, a monthly hanging calendar, some pens, and a writing pad. All three men looked at him with a different levels of contempt. Ethan cleared his throat by coughing into the front of his elbow and spoke “I am a little nervous, being new and surrounded by such a great crowed of extraordinary minds, but since one of my new years resolutions is public speaking, I will start. First thing I did for myself was healthy eating habits, and with great pride I confidently declare that fast food is no longer a part of my daily routine. I am cooking at home...”

Rick smiled and interrupted the speaker “I think I know what the problem is. You supposed to go to the ‘Thee New Years Resolution Hardcore Fanatics Club’ we are a completely different club. We are ‘New Years Resolution Hardcore Fanatics Club’ with out the THE. So if you don't mind sir, you can rejoin the club that you belong to.” Rick pointed at the door.

Ethan got a little dumbfounded and started packing his things into the backpack. As he was packing he decided to make a little small talk before he would leave, to make the situation less awkward seeing that everyone was staring at him. “May I find out what your club is about? It sounds so similar, maybe I will want to join.”

“You see, the THEE club focuses on Resolutions of the New Years resolutions, we focus on new years resolutions themselves, so we are the most devoted fans of ‘New Years Resolution.’” The disheveled young man finally spoke.

Seeing, that The neat looking man was still confused, the serious man spoke: “We are focused on making promises to ourselves, the THEE group focuses on resolution of those promises, which we are not interested in at all. So this makes us the number one fans of New Years Resolutions. The THEE club are only wannabees who will never achieve our mindfulness.”

Ethan finally was understanding the difference between the clubs. What he didn't understand was what were so many men doing in the club that brought no results? He can achieve that without a club or anyone's help. Ethan was a master in it. “So what is it that you do exactly? As I understand, you make promises that you don't intend to keep?”

Safi looked at him and finally relaxed. “No, young man. Our club has no aspect of anxiety. It has the element of surprise. If you don’t achieve a resolution, it is fine. If you do, that is the surprise.”

Ethan sat down. He realized the beauty of this club. There is no pressure, no torment, no pointing fingers of shame. There is just acceptance of yourself. You are who you are, and there is no need to try and prove someone else otherwise. However, having the beliefs that have passed to him from generation to generation, he cleared his throat again to clarify. “Don’t you want to be better? You are just describing the existence of mankind without the achievement.”

“We compete with yesterdays version of ourselves.” Finally Rick said. “If you don’t mind young man, we need to continue with our club meeting, and you are holding us back.”

Ethan flew into a daydream of a fulfilled life where he didn't care what people said or thought about him. That would be a great life. You just do what you want, when you want, and no judgment is passed, without even a little hesitation he said: “I want to join! I am the biggest FAN of ‘New Years Resolution Hardcore Fanatics Club.’”

“Unfortunately. NO!” Said the serious man. “Our first rule, is we don't talk about...Sorry, this is from another club I belong to. The first rule of our club is that you have to have not kept a single New Years Resolution before joining. Unfortunately, as you have told us yourself you have achieved a resolution. Which breaks the first rule. With sorrow I must ask you to leave.”

Ethan’s dreams collapsed as he heard the verdict. Disappointed, misunderstood and betrayed by his own daydreaming he slowly took his backpack and headed out the door dragging his fit.

“Finally!” Rick exclaimed, after Ethan closed the door behind him. “Lets get back to business. Andrew, you will start!”

“Excellent, excellent!” The young man with disheveled hair started. “Last year I wanted to start learning Italian, a complete fail from my part. The cooking didn't go so well, I almost burned down the apartment...” Andrew was going on and on about his failures without a care in the world. And finally he said: “At least I tried!”

“Hooray!” shouted Safi and Rick as they clapped.

Then Safi began to talk about his failed resolutions and finished with: “At least I tried”. Followed by the same “Hooray!”

Rick did the same thing and was met with the same enthusiastic hooray and clapping.

Finally they got to making New ‘New Years Resolutions.’ And this was the most exciting part of the meeting. Coming up with new ideas and a new fresh start. They were discussing it by eating cookies laughing and washing it all down with milk. What a Great year it will be!

You want to know what happened to Ethan? Well, after he left “New Years Resolution Hardcore Fanatics Club” he didn’t go to “The New Years Resolution Hardcore Fanatics Club” he went home and created his own club: “I am my biggest fan!”