The Arlington Salon, a group of individuals who like to meet and have good discussions is about to turn 15.
Back in 1991 when the Utne Reader was in its hay day, the salon was promoted. Basically, the concept is to meet in each other\’s homes to share food (always a pot luck) and drink and then actually sit around in a circle to practice the art of conversation about a variety of topics. Taking this concept, Ken Schellenberg (who continues to edit the website), Kevin Spitler, and Marian Flynn met and decided to start an Arlington Salon which has continued to meet for the past 15 years. During these years, people have come and gone. Some members have married and now have children while others have moved away from the area, and some even come back to visit, as the Salon usually meets twice a month (first Thursday and third Sunday, with the summer schedule often reduced to once a month).
We have found that the food and drink are crucial before we sit down to discuss a topic because the sharing helps create a sense of community among members, though not all live in Arlington. This also gives folks a reason to prepare food and the compliments afterwards are appreciated.
The topics have varied over the years; some have been repeated as the culture has changed over the past 15 years. These have included, for example: art, music, poetry, politics, immigration, what we should have been told by our parents, aging, health, travel, cherised items, etc.
If interested in participating, visit the website and register: Slouching Towards Consensus
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