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I'm the person who came to every meeting, but nobody paid any attention to me. I tried several times to be friendly, but everyone seemed to have his or her own friends to talk to and sit with. I sat down with some unfamiliar faces several times, but they didn't seem to notice me.

I hoped somebody would ask me to join one of the committees or to participate and contribute somehow, but nobody did. Finally, because of illness, I missed a meeting. The next month, no one asked where I had been. I guess it didn't matter very much whether I was there or not.

On the next meeting date, I decided to stay home and watch a good television program. When I attended the following meeting, no one asked where I was the month before.

You may say that I'm a good person, a good family member--that I hold a responsible job and love my community. You know who else I am?

I'm the member who never came back.

Anonymous

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