It is important, in my opinion, to have friendships during every stage of life. When you are a toddler, having play dates builds a child’s social skills. If a child does not have playmates early on, they tend to become self centered and lack the ability to play "nice." This is simply because they haven’t learned how to treat a friend.
As time goes on and we get to elementary school, again, having friends is a very important part of the stage. Having peers to share the good times and the bad times is vital since a parent is not always going to be available to help out. When we get older, the opinions of our peers often become more important than those of our parents.
In adulthood, we build new friendships with neighbors, co-workers, our children’s friend's parents and so on. Many of my friends have the majority of their friends in the workplace. When we retire from the workplace we try to keep our friendships alive, but based on my discussions, many of these friendships retire and fade over time, especially if the friend still remains in the workplace. After retirement, many individuals and couples decide to travel South for the winter leaving behind their primary home and town. As this transition takes place, we often find that getting to the new destination is great and warm and new, but something is missing-friends. I have provided ten tips below for initiating new friendships while at your new wintertime home. Keep in mind that these are all just suggestions. While one idea might work well for one person, it might not feel comfortable for another. The most important thing to remember is that friendship is healthy and beneficial no matter what your age or time in life.
(1) Read the local newspapers and magazines. Find out what’s going on in the area. Don’t be afraid to attend a festival, book reading, etc.
(2) If you are in a retirement community go to the social areas. Introduce yourself. It is amazing how often you will meet someone that makes you remember, "It is a small world."
(3) Volunteer. Even though you are retired, you don’t need to quit working completely. Find something that you are interested in and help out. You will be sure to find other people that are like you.
(4) Join an on-line social network like this one, http://www.RetirementFriendFinder.com . You will be able to connect with others that may have similar interests. Plan a picnic or get together with others that are from "your" part of the country.
(5) Join a gym and take some of the classes-yoga, pilates, water aerobics etc. You will be able to connect with people in this setting and meet new friends.
(6) Go to the local coffee shops. You may be able to enjoy plays, music etc. while there and also meet the locals.
(7) Enjoy wine tasting events. These social events are a great way to network and they are free.
(8) If you enjoy reading, go to a local library to find out about book club meetings.
(9) Travel in groups. Many travel agencies offer low cost day trips. Consider booking a day trip and you will probably meet new people with common interests.
(10) Meet new people at church activities in the new location.
Tags: Retirement Friends Snowbirds Social Group Boomers
