Where to go meet people?

My family lives in another state. When you retire, it's surprising how many of your friends are work related, and they tend to fall away. Plus I'm disabled, I can't walk far at all. They do have Seniors programs here. They provide a nice meal and bingo. They are great programs, they are way to early for my meds to kick in. I don't need a meal, and hate bingo. I'm a vet, and I'm 71. A lot of those vet posts are closing as we vets pass on. The groups on MeetUp are 'strange'. I live in a community of 1.5 acre plots, and my neighbors work. So I don't know where to go to meet people.
 

Go to the seniors programs. I'm pretty sure they have more than a meal and bingo.
Join the American Legion or the VFW.
What do you mean by 'vet posts are closing'?
 
Veterans organizations exclude those who were in between wars. I was in from 57 to 59 and I describe myself as a military veteran, not a war veteran. There is a difference.
 

I, too, have tried to find some social outlet, but since I'm pretty slow and lack a fun and positive personality it's hard to find places for uncool folks ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚ I love good conversation, not small talk. A place to go hang out a couple hours would be great. What are people thinking? Maybe we need to post signs inviting neighbors of a certain age to come to our house to just hang out! Don't know if I'd have the courage to do that but it's a wonderful idea if I do say so. ๐Ÿ˜‹๐Ÿ˜‹ . Where are you, Manate? Come on over! ๐Ÿ˜
 
I, too, have tried to find some social outlet, but since I'm pretty slow and lack a fun and positive personality it's hard to find places for uncool folks ๏˜‚๏˜‚๏˜‚ I love good conversation, not small talk. A place to go hang out a couple hours would be great. What are people thinking? Maybe we need to post signs inviting neighbors of a certain age to come to our house to just hang out! Don't know if I'd have the courage to do that but it's a wonderful idea if I do say so. ๏˜‹๏˜‹ . Where are you, Manate? Come on over! ๏˜
Try your local library and check their events calendar. Ours has monthly day trips, different classes, a coloring group and a film showing each week for adults. A lot of seniors take part.
 
We live in a 55+ "geezer ghetto" where there are clubs, groups and activities that you can participate in with your contemporaries. When we lived out west we were in a larger retirement community with even more things to do. There was a computer club, a sewing club, plus a number of other craft clubs. I was a member of the Sheriff's Posse, a group that patrolled the community in conjunction with the Sheriff's Office. We belonged to the RV club and enjoyed many trips with friends. Usually the people who bad-mouth 55+ communities have never lived in one.
 
Veterans organizations exclude those who were in between wars. I was in from 57 to 59 and I describe myself as a military veteran, not a war veteran. There is a difference.
I knew you had to be a wartime vet to join VFW, but I did not know that also applies to the American Legion. I thought that was the main difference between them. But those aren't the only veterans organizations, just the two biggest. Patriot Guard Riders, as an example, take anyone, even non-vets and non-riders.
 
I've lived in Senior Citizens apartment buildings for over a decade. It's the best thing for me. I've lived in the current building for 4 years. It's the best place I've ever lived. There are people all around me, and plenty of places to hang out. We have activities, even free holiday meals sometimes. We have a huge lobby on every floor. I can sit on an easy chair and read a book, or take my notebook computer and sit at a table. I mostly just sit in my apartment. But I do go out sometimes and socialize.
 
Sorry for your predicament.
There are no easy answers, probably.
I know what you mean with meetup groups.
Some of those people are very odd, eccentric
and the groups usually don't last and with low attendance.
 
So I don't know where to go to meet people.
You are not alone my friend, I too am in my 70's and a veteran and missing those special people who surrounded me for years.
I had to leave my wilderness home and be near medical help (or so my son tells me) and it is driving me nuts. Though living
off-grid I was never lacking in things that had to be done, now not so much.

But the one thing I truly miss is the hours spent with the few neighbors
who never judged a book by its cover
like people here in civilization do.
 
I'm not a veteran, but I certainly understand the situation. Have you ever that about talking with other vets, you certainly have a common thread of which to speak. See if this web site might be of value to you....

https://www.vetsprevail.org/chat

Im not sure the link above will take you directly to the web site, it doesn't appear to at this point. If it doesn't just highlight and past to your web browser. It should take to directly there.

Best wishes and thank you for your service.
 
You know I was just thinking yesterday how boring my days are. I live alone, never married, no family in the area. Less contact with friends after we all retired. Sometimes I don't leave the house for days at a time. One idea I thought about that would bring a little structure to my day was to join a gym. My health insurance offers free membership at several local gyms and they have exercise classes for older folks called Silver Sneakers. Might be a way to meet people of a similar age and, perhaps, get involved in a group afterwards for coffee, smoothies, lunch, etc.
 
j-kat,

Silver Sneakers is a great program, i use it daily and I have met a lot of people my age and younger. But if I may, I would suggest you see if there is a senior center close by that offers and promotes senior unity and socialization. I volunteer there and take a lot of classes as well. Its a great program and many people depend on it to provide the things you are looking for.

Regards...
 
My family lives in another state. When you retire, it's surprising how many of your friends are work related, and they tend to fall away. Plus I'm disabled, I can't walk far at all. They do have Seniors programs here. They provide a nice meal and bingo. They are great programs, they are way to early for my meds to kick in. I don't need a meal, and hate bingo. I'm a vet, and I'm 71. A lot of those vet posts are closing as we vets pass on. The groups on MeetUp are 'strange'. I live in a community of 1.5 acre plots, and my neighbors work. So I don't know where to go to meet people.

Sounds as if you have some time on your hands. Why not start your OWN groups?
You don't get what you dont' ask for.
Hate bingo? Ask them to do a different activity. Poker? What do you enjoy.
You say Meetup groups are 'strange'. So, start your own Meetup group.
 
I, too, have tried to find some social outlet, but since I'm pretty slow and lack a fun and positive personality it's hard to find places for uncool folks ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚ I love good conversation, not small talk. A place to go hang out a couple hours would be great. What are people thinking? Maybe we need to post signs inviting neighbors of a certain age to come to our house to just hang out! Don't know if I'd have the courage to do that but it's a wonderful idea if I do say so. ๐Ÿ˜‹๐Ÿ˜‹ . Where are you, Manate? Come on over! ๐Ÿ˜
i'm with you on the small talk. Boring.
 
My family lives in another state. When you retire, it's surprising how many of your friends are work related, and they tend to fall away. Plus I'm disabled, I can't walk far at all. They do have Seniors programs here. They provide a nice meal and bingo. They are great programs, they are way to early for my meds to kick in. I don't need a meal, and hate bingo. I'm a vet, and I'm 71. A lot of those vet posts are closing as we vets pass on. The groups on MeetUp are 'strange'. I live in a community of 1.5 acre plots, and my neighbors work. So I don't know where to go to meet people.

My wife and I go Sunday nights to a community bridge center. We each pay $4 for a group lesson and then two hours of duplicate play. The people are nice, mostly older than we are (we're late 60s) with many disabled folks. The director always jokes, "if you don't want to use your brain, go play bingo."

Worth a try?
 
My family lives in another state. When you retire, it's surprising how many of your friends are work related, and they tend to fall away. Plus I'm disabled, I can't walk far at all. They do have Seniors programs here. They provide a nice meal and bingo. They are great programs, they are way to early for my meds to kick in. I don't need a meal, and hate bingo. I'm a vet, and I'm 71. A lot of those vet posts are closing as we vets pass on. The groups on MeetUp are 'strange'. I live in a community of 1.5 acre plots, and my neighbors work. So I don't know where to go to meet people.
 
I have given up to the point of now looking carefully at the internet.

.church bars bingo vfw, drunks - eagles club drunks -american legion drunks...alcoholics anonymous drunks...casinos senior centers community centers no so much drunks, but worse, political extremists. ..the drunks will be sober tomorrow the morons will still be morons hahhah--library, homeless people ..homeless is ok it is what goes with that is scary and semi-dangerous drugs mental illness filth fleas and worse..--so all in all- I am pretty darn good company -

I always remark to myself in traffic about the morons driving the junk cars ...freshly damaged ..I say "hey lets go get a beer" and sort of entertain myself at their expense..real good chance that is why their car is freshly smashed in, .so I am pretty good company considering the alternatives.

maybe we dont realize how well off we have it.

happy isolation cant catch stds that way
 
I imagine, like most peeps, my social life came to a screeching halt over 4 weeks ago. I live "in the boonies" about 5 miles from the nearest town (one traffic light). I used to go to the diner there every day, mostly to socialize, but for lunch also. The owner, who I know (everybody knows everybody around here) has been hanging on by a thread for years. He owns a lot of apartments and builds houses, so he doesn't depend on the diner for income. He should sell it but hasn't yet.

So after the CV crisis is over we have no idea if he'll open it again. If he doesn't, we really don't have any place to go that is big enough. There is no "senior center" or anything like that around here, and this is something we discussed a few years ago -- anticipating a future problem. So here we are: I have plenty of friends but won't have any place close by to have lunch with them when things get back to normal.
 


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