On Thu, 20 Sep 2012 21:49:16 +0000 (UTC), Bastette
wrote:

Cheryl wrote:

On 2012-09-20 5:43 PM, Bastette wrote:
Cheryl wrote:

wouldn't touch such affairs either because they consider them childish
(or themselves treated as children) or because they have some idea that
socializing with strangers you go to a club to meet is somehow
second-class compared to socializing in a private home with ones friends
and relations.

Then I guess I've been childish my whole life. My main source of
social activity has always been with peers, who I met in various social
groups, and who were strangers when I first started going. How is that
more childish than hanging out with your family??

I'm just reporting on what I observe!

Yeah, I know. I didn't think that was your opinion.

I suspect that being clustered in
little groups by some criteria such as age (not common interests) and
then presented with organized activities, take it or leave it, reminds
some people a bit too much of primary school, or maybe small children's
birthday parties for those children who are outgrowing them.

I see what you mean. People do treat elders like children oftentimes. I
don't look forward to that.

My social circles are mostly based on common interests. But I often find
that the people I like the best don't share a lot of my interests, and
those who do share them aren't people I want to get to know, especially.
I value my friends a lot, but this does mean I watch a lot of movies by
myself, for example.

As I get older I've lost a lot of my friends from high school and
college. Many move away, some have died. It gets more difficult for me
to make new friends because I'm not forced into situations where I'm
with people like happens at school. Work is not school. Also, I'm not
at all co-dependent. I have no problem being by myself.

My mother seems to have an ideal situation. She lives in a community
in Florida that has a clubhouse and a large number of activities
including a current events group. various art/culture groups, and
sports clubs. I've gone to some of them when I've visited and wouldn't
mind living there. Houses are fairly cheap, and I like a lot of the
people that I've met. It is a bit like heaven't waiting room, but
that's not a bad thing.

She's part of a group of friends that monitor each other, checking in
every day to make sure that everything is ok. Several times she has
taken someone to the hospital in the middle of the night, and some
have taken her when she needed to go. They have regular movie
excursions, dinner dates, trips to local theater groups, and I would
have no trouble fitting in.