Housemen

There is a club here in the city which is solely there for "housemen".

There is no clear definition of what a houseman is, but typically it is the non-working husband of the working wife, and often the people are english speaking. But I don't really want to categorise them, as they really do come in many forms.

They meet at lunch once a week and bring with them dogs and children.

Every few years, I have gone along, just so I can see for myself this wonderful group of people. I always get a warm welcome, although these lunchers are strictly for men.

The conversation was so insightful, I was next to a Canadian medical expert, who talked about his first few months in this foreign country and how he wished he had found the group earlier to help his assimilation into the country, the other guy was new from the US, a legal expert, and was talking about the joy and the frustrations, he was having in helping the family set up and spending time with the children and wondering what the future would hold for his career.

It was a rich conversation, full of tips and support. Plently of laughter and a few pints were shared.

Support groups of any nature are so important to society and I know from listenting to the stories, that this particular group, has been a welcome lifeline to many.

It was a great lunch and I was, once again, impressed by this fabulous bunch of men from all over the world.

Thanks for having me on Wednesday and I say, three cheers for the housmen!