I once had a neighbor who asked me what to do in our town. Everything I suggested to her, she had a negative reply to give as to why she wouldn't/couldn't participate. She never had a friend visit her, nor pick her up for an outing. No real friends at all. What a sad life. She died alone, no one cared. It could have been a very different ending if only she had stopped thinking "poor me", and tried.
Are weekends still special?
- Thread starter Trish
- Start date
Jamala
Senior Member
- Location
- Butterfly from Herts/UK
Couldn't agree with you more Right Now!
fuzzybuddy
SF VIP
- Location
- The Sticks, Northeast PA.
No, weekends weren't much of a big deal for me. I spent most of my life in the healthcare industry. Everybody works every other weekend. So, I got used to it. When you only have two two-days-off -together times a month, you have to do the things you have to do, like big home repairs etc, so the weekends aren't just for fun-it's stuff you gotta do. Plus, since I retired, I've become such a creature of habit. I like the routine of the work week. If my 21 year old self heard me say how I love routine, he'd turn in his love beads.
officerripley
Well-known Member
- Location
- Porlock, Calif
The fact remains, though, that there really and truly are some areas where there really and truly is very little or nothing to do. (I know; I live in one.) And one of the main reasons that some places are like that is that the people who have lived there always or a long enough time want it that way; they couldn't care less if a newcomer (in other words, anyone who hasn't lived there at least 20 years!) is having trouble finding things to do or people to socialize with; they just don't care and their attitude is "if you don't like it here, leave." Which of course, some of us would love to do but are unable to for various reasons. So it's easy to say "just get busy and find something or somebody else to socialize with, hustle, hustle, hustle!" Easy to say that but it's not seeing the whole picture or being at all sympathetic.
jujube
SF VIP
The weekend means time with the little 'uns or going to festivals and farmers markets. I try to get everything else done during the week.
Trish
SF VIP OAP
I guess there are many reasons why some people feel unable to do the things they'd like, sometimes people are just not ready. Shame about your neighbour but, at least you tried to help, there's not much else you could have done.
Last edited:
Trish
SF VIP OAP
I know several couples who have retired to rural areas which is fine until one partner finds themselves alone but, I guess, when you are together you never think of how life might change.
NorthernLight
Well-known Member
- Location
- Northern BC
In most of the work I did, I didn't get weekends off.
Now, I have a couple of scheduled activities on weekends. Plus I do the bigger housework tasks on weekends. So they end up being busier than weekdays.
A neighbor invites me for dinners, and although I meet people there, nothing comes of it. Another neighbor wants me to go for walks. I can't go for walks because of leg problems.
When I arrived here, I checked out some possibilities (e.g., Toastmasters), but those had been canceled by Covid.
I've had to fight hard to find (or invent) things to do with others. I've made and put up posters, paid for ads, written a newspaper article, gotten a police check so I could do volunteer work, etc. Things have gone wrong at every turn (e.g., the newspaper changed what I wrote, the police employee made mistakes).
Someone congratulated me on my volunteer teaching, saying it would provide me with a "social outlet." This surprised me, because to me, teaching is not a social activity, it's work.
So now, after a year and a half, I meet with my language partner once a week, and I have a board meeting once a month. I exchange a few words with a neighbor a couple of times a month. Woo hoo. Don't get me wrong, I count my blessings.
Now, I have a couple of scheduled activities on weekends. Plus I do the bigger housework tasks on weekends. So they end up being busier than weekdays.
I agree. Where I live, it's all hands-on stuff: hunting, macrame, etc. -- things that don't interest me. The people are nice, but they've known each other for decades. I heard of a young newcomer who tried to make friends at a mom-and-tot group. She was told that everyone already had all the friends they could handle.
A neighbor invites me for dinners, and although I meet people there, nothing comes of it. Another neighbor wants me to go for walks. I can't go for walks because of leg problems.
When I arrived here, I checked out some possibilities (e.g., Toastmasters), but those had been canceled by Covid.
I've had to fight hard to find (or invent) things to do with others. I've made and put up posters, paid for ads, written a newspaper article, gotten a police check so I could do volunteer work, etc. Things have gone wrong at every turn (e.g., the newspaper changed what I wrote, the police employee made mistakes).
Someone congratulated me on my volunteer teaching, saying it would provide me with a "social outlet." This surprised me, because to me, teaching is not a social activity, it's work.
So now, after a year and a half, I meet with my language partner once a week, and I have a board meeting once a month. I exchange a few words with a neighbor a couple of times a month. Woo hoo. Don't get me wrong, I count my blessings.
Last edited:
Weekends, I try to be prepared for a possible overnight with my grandson.
With my son and his wife working so hard it is hard for them to make time just for themselves. If they have a party to attend, a concert, go out for dinner etc. I tell them just let the boy spend the night. That way they can sleep in, go out for a nice brunch if they choose. I receive the bigger gift of hugs, snuggles, cooking with the grandson. We watch TV, play board games, do puzzles, color, so many choices. Always fun.
The other thing I enjoy on the weekend, PBS shows, I am an addict to British TV, I need to get Britbox or Acorn TV. Does anyone have this? Is it worth the cost in your opinion?
With my son and his wife working so hard it is hard for them to make time just for themselves. If they have a party to attend, a concert, go out for dinner etc. I tell them just let the boy spend the night. That way they can sleep in, go out for a nice brunch if they choose. I receive the bigger gift of hugs, snuggles, cooking with the grandson. We watch TV, play board games, do puzzles, color, so many choices. Always fun.
The other thing I enjoy on the weekend, PBS shows, I am an addict to British TV, I need to get Britbox or Acorn TV. Does anyone have this? Is it worth the cost in your opinion?
Also, I think it is sometimes difficult for "social butterflies" to understand that not everyone wants to live life as they do.
David777
Well-known Member
- Location
- Silicon Valley
No.
Six years into retirement, everyday I wake up is Saturday. There are occasional events here in the San Francisco Bay Area that generally only occur on weekends. However most weekends not, so often have to look up to understand what day of the week and date it is. Winters this recreational bump skier, is skiing 2 or 3 days each mid week because weekends have longer lifts lines, crowded groomed slopes, and much highway traffic to from, though where this advanced skiers slides is never an issue.
Six years into retirement, everyday I wake up is Saturday. There are occasional events here in the San Francisco Bay Area that generally only occur on weekends. However most weekends not, so often have to look up to understand what day of the week and date it is. Winters this recreational bump skier, is skiing 2 or 3 days each mid week because weekends have longer lifts lines, crowded groomed slopes, and much highway traffic to from, though where this advanced skiers slides is never an issue.
Murrmurr
SF VIP
- Location
- Sacramento, California
They are for us because that's when my sons and my wife and her sister are all off work.
And I'm pretty sure that soon, but not soon enough, weekends will have Paxton here, too.
And I'm pretty sure that soon, but not soon enough, weekends will have Paxton here, too.
Disgustedman
Senior Member
As a child, cartoons.
As a teen, biking, shoplifting, swimming.
As a newly minted adult sexsexsexsexdrinkdrinksexsexdrink
As a 30-50 year old workworkworkwork
At 60 "Man I do enough Monday through Friday"
Now? Well, I'm looking around because I really do need to get going. But Saturdays......yeah, that's a time to pull covers over if cold, have a nice breakfast and plan the mayhem for the new week.
As a teen, biking, shoplifting, swimming.
As a newly minted adult sexsexsexsexdrinkdrinksexsexdrink
As a 30-50 year old workworkworkwork
At 60 "Man I do enough Monday through Friday"
Now? Well, I'm looking around because I really do need to get going. But Saturdays......yeah, that's a time to pull covers over if cold, have a nice breakfast and plan the mayhem for the new week.