“Lunch and learns” – working mom style

I haven’t really ventured into luncheon-land since I’ve been back to work.  For the past 8 months (20 if you count when I was pregnant), I’ve avoided the “lunch and learn.” You know, those two-hour-long guest speaker PowerPoint snore-fests at fancy restaurants where you have to eat family style Italian and make small “business” talk with the person next to you who’s stuffing their face full of baked ziti?  (Yes, I know you like the manicotti, but is it worth it?) Not for me right now. I have too much to do at work and I’d rather spend my free time eating what I want to eat and well, you know what I do in my free time. But there are certain exceptions to this rule of avoidance. Like when I get the opportunity meet people like me.

See, I keep getting these reminders in my e-mail inbox for the working moms group that I’m a member of on the Northside Parents Network of Chicago.  Every month this really nice woman Sarah coordinates a meet-and-greet lunch, and well, I never go. I always have a good excuse – I don’t have time, I already have enough friends, I don’t need more advice.  You name it and I’ve used it to avoid going.  But something today got me motivated (was it the gorgeous weather?) to attend. The invite said to meet at the Merchandise Mart food court, grab food and sit at the designated table. It started at 11:30.  At 11:45 I still hadn’t left my office.  It was the perfect out – my meeting went long. Plus, I work on the other side of the Loop from the Mart (do you KNOW where the Aon Center is? Yeah, neither does have of Chicago).  I don’t need to go to this lunch. 

But I went. And you know what? Over a greek salad of my choosing, I actually learned some stuff and had a laugh or two or three. I met one woman who lives 3 blocks from me and has a daughter 2 months older than my son.  Another woman, a family doctor, told us how she tells her patients that scheduling and nap times don’t matter. Love her! Another working mom there had a hilarious personality and gave me a great tip to the Chicago Woman’s Network – a resource for us working women to network here in the Windy City. And the best part? No matter our jobs or our kids’ ages, we all had to deal with the same B.S. – find decent child care for our kid, find a decent way to get downtown from the “city-burbs” and find time to tuck our little ones into bed at night 

And thus, even though my salad was a little salty and I spent $10 on cab fare, I had a good time.  You could even say I enjoyed this “lunch and learn.” Just don’t make me eat Italian. Capiche?

Tags: Northside Parents Network, Chicago, working mom, lunch and learn, Merchandise Mart