Finding a place in the group

Text A: an original contemporary practice extract.

I went to the community table-tennis evening knowing nobody there. I stood by the spare bats while the others finished a game, trying to work out whether people had come in pairs or whether anyone could join. One player noticed me and asked if I would keep score for the next match. I was glad to have something to do, although I worried that I might get the rules wrong.

When the game ended, she explained the scoring and invited me to take her place. I missed several returns, but the other players waited while I found my rhythm. By the time the evening ended, I had stopped watching the clock and was asking when the group met again. I had expected to feel like an outsider for the whole session; instead, a small invitation had made it easier to take part.

Text B: an original contemporary practice extract.

My first visit to the neighbourhood gardening group began with me hovering at the gate, unsure whether I should start digging or wait for instructions. Everyone else seemed to know which beds needed attention. A woman handed me a basket and asked me to collect the fallen apples before they were cleared away. I was relieved to have a clear job, but I kept checking that I was not taking fruit from the wrong trees.

She showed me the marked row and told me what to leave behind. After that, I worked alongside two other members, who explained how the group shared out the tasks. I had imagined that joining would mean interrupting a conversation already in progress. Instead, being given a useful first task helped me settle in, and I left feeling that I could return without needing to be introduced all over again.

Both texts describe the writers’ experiences of joining an unfamiliar group activity.

What similarities can you find in the writers’ experiences of joining an unfamiliar group? Use evidence from both texts to support your answer.