I have an idea, and I’d like to hear what y’all think about it, and if you’d participate.

Here’s the background: I love bikes. You all know that. But when I’m in a social group, I tend to not talk much about biking, or keep it to a very brief mention, because I know that 99% of people don’t like geeking out on bikes nearly as much as I do. Out of respect for social mores against being boring and dominating the conversation, I don’t talk about biking much. I suspect that most people have a hobby, interest, or passion that they don’t bring up much in social settings, for similar reasons.

My idea is this: To provide a venue for friends to get together and learn about one another’s hobbies, and to allow us all to totally geek out on our passions, in a socially acceptable way. The format might go like this: A group of friends get together and one person gets to talk for a set time, about any topic about which they’re really excited, passionate, or expert. It doesn’t have to have universal appeal or applicability. They just have to be excited enough about it to share their thoughts. The whole group listens and asks questions, if there are any, and then it’s another person’s turn.

It would basically be like mini-TED talks, but in just groups of friends, and the talks would not be rehearsed or anything. Just a sanctioned way of talking more about something you might not normally talk about, out of consideration for everyone else’s interest. I’d love to hear what lights up my friends.

I know that public speaking freaks people out, so the point would be to not have it be some big deal, but just chat to in a friendly group about what you’re excited about.