John, I hear ya! Thanks to egg gatherings I've made friends and memories that will last a lifetime. I call these things "self leveling." We get together because of a common cause, but everything else becomes
not important. Like, what someone does for a job (if they work), where (specifically) they live, religious affiliation, political affiliation, etc., etc. We find so many other things in common... like "where do you like to camp."
All that other stuff becomes meaningless.
Love my gathering friends!