Did I blow a shot to be invited to join Congressional?

[Anonymous]

This type of ruminating long after the fact is a hallmark sign of anxiety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope you are in therapy.

Haha, I am actually. Thanks for checking.

You are gross

Why? We don't even play golf and probably wouldn't have joined. Just wondered if that's what those invites were about or not. Seems a fairly benign thing to be curious about.

Sure, right after. A few years later? You have issues.

Not as many issues as the sorry dude getting his rocks off name calling on the internet....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since OP mentioned she is in therapy, I think this is just an example of how therapy can lead one to look back at various experiences and explore them for meanings and implications that didn't register at the time. Nothing wrong with that.
And sometimes wondering about a past experience come up just by happenstance. Nothing wrong with that either.
No need for mean remarks.

It's an example of how therapy can cause rumination that worsens mental health.

[Anonymous]

TIL that Congressional has a meaningful name. It was foundedbas a place for Members of Congress to have a place to collect bribes.

https://www.ccclub.org/history

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My spouse and I were invited to a couple of events by a member at Congressional a few years ago. I can't remember specifically what they were but they were events definitely catered to younger folks, people our age (we were early 30s at the time). Had fun, met some nice people, secretly rolled our eyes a lot, had fun afterwards at the expense of some of the typical silly people you find at these things, etc. I didn't think anything of it at the time other than it was nice to be invited to spend a couple evenings in an exclusive club like this. Now, because anxiety, I have started to wonder if those invitations were not sort of trial runs to evaluate us as potential new members. We both dressed appropriately, thanked our hosts often, we both grew up in "polite society" to some degree so we know how to act in country clubs, for example. So don't know how we may have behaved differently had we known we were being evaluated but I'm sure something would have been different. Actually, I probably wouldn't have gone anywhere near the dancefloor, that's one thing that comes to mind LOL. Is this how young, new members are recruited to clubs? Financially, we aren't exactly Congressional material and doubt we could have afforded the initiation fees but I can't help but wonder if we would have figured out a way to make it work if we were actually invited to join.

Anyway, this post is clearly pointless but I am still curious if this process sounds familiar to anyone who is indeed a member.

Congressional does not need new members. But you seem too high and mighty for a club (at least in your own mind).

[Anonymous]

What a strange post. These clubs don’t recruit members.

Who invited you? I assume friends? That is all it was. No one is drying running these things.

[Anonymous]

I’m confused. You think you were invited to a few social things as a test, and if you passed, someone would have reached out and invited you to join? It doesn’t work that way. You were invited just as a guest of your friends, who were members. It wasn’t a test of any kind. It was just a social event. They brought you as their guests as a way of spending time with you. That’s it.

You can ask to join now, or you could have asked to join before you went to those events, or you could never ask (obviously), but those events weren’t some kind of secret recruiting thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This type of ruminating long after the fact is a hallmark sign of anxiety.

Right, and OP knows she has anxiety, so what’s your point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It should be a life goal to not fit in at these places.

This! We could easily afford any of the country clubs but I wouldn’t be caught dead as a member.

[Anonymous]

my thought about this entire thread and OP's questions is "Blech."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My cousin is a member at Congressional. He has to spend a certain amount per month or per year on buying food and alcohol there or he just loses the money. That's probably what was going on.

+1. You really have to try to hit those mandatory monthly dining dues, so you end up inviting guests. OP is really overthinking this. Unless they said "you guys should join," it really was JUST some casual social gathering amongst friends, nothing more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be a life goal to not fit in at these places.

This! We could easily afford any of the country clubs but I wouldn’t be caught dead as a member.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My cousin is a member at Congressional. He has to spend a certain amount per month or per year on buying food and alcohol there or he just loses the money. That's probably what was going on.

This. A friend at a "lesser" club would invite us to dinner towards the end of the month but on doing so would mention this! Oh we're invited just because you have dollars you need to spend? Made me feel like sh&t.

Why would free dinner & drinks at a private club with friends hosting make you free like sh*t? Beginning of the month or end of month, you're welcome.

[Anonymous]

Remember the Groucho Marx rule: "I wouldn't dream of joining a club that would have me as a member."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My cousin is a member at Congressional. He has to spend a certain amount per month or per year on buying food and alcohol there or he just loses the money. That's probably what was going on.

This. A friend at a "lesser" club would invite us to dinner towards the end of the month but on doing so would mention this! Oh we're invited just because you have dollars you need to spend? Made me feel like sh&t.

Yeah, the should have shared their wealth with someone classy instead of some grinch who demands people go out of their way to give expensive gifts for no reason.