Guess I'll truly be the odd one, in this conversation.
I didn't want/need friends before I retired. I feel the same, even though I've been retired a few years.
And to set the record straight, I'm not anti-social. I do have people I see on an on-going basis (volunteer work) and converse with them, but I would not say I have anyone (other than my DW) whom I wish to share my dreams.
I'm sure it's all due to my upbringing (dysfunctional family), where I learned early on that I was the only one that I could count on.
Guess you can say that I'm my own best friend...
Not so odd; I feel the same way. In fact I'm married to another person who shares our sentiments.Guess I'll truly be the odd one, in this conversation.
I didn't want/need friends before I retired. I feel the same, even though I've been retired a few years.
And to set the record straight, I'm not anti-social. I do have people I see on an on-going basis (volunteer work) and converse with them, but I would not say I have anyone (other than my DW) whom I wish to share my dreams.
Retirees don't have to "expand our connections" or "network" or "socialize" or any of the other speed-dating techniques used when you're spending 40+ hours a week at work and don't have any time left over for living.I'm not suggesting that you should address lifestyle issues with the same precision you do your finances by, say, allocating 40% of your time to health matters, 35% to friends, and 25% to spirituality. But it can help to approach nonfinancial matters in a somewhat similar manner. [...]
One way to expand your connections is by joining groups dedicated to causes you believe in, or by volunteering. Retirees who volunteer are about 15% more likely to be very satisfied than those who don't, according to Urban Institute research.
I do agree that retirement planning is not "all about the bucks", and nonfinancial issues matter. This covers a lot more than those issues addressed in the article.(Money Magazine) -- My wife is always chiding me that I spend too much time working and not enough keeping up with friends. "You'll be sorry when you retire and don't have anyone to do things with besides me," she warns. I hate to say it, but she's right. It's easy to assume retirement planning is all about the bucks, but nonfinancial issues matter too.
A Pew Research Center report shows friendships rank with sound health and finances as the factors most likely to boost happiness. The study found that retirees who are very satisfied with their number of friends were nearly three times more likely to be happy than those who are worried about relationships. A comparable gap exists between those who are very confident in their finances and those who aren't.
Instead you can pursue your interests on your own schedule and... sonofagun... eventually you'll run into like-minded individuals who share those interests. You don't even have to [-]recreate your workplace environment[/-] join groups or volunteer. You just do what you want and the socializing opportunities appear on their own for you to take advantage of-- or not.
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For me social interactions are really important maybe because I am not at all an extrovert. I volunteer at a few things every week and get more out of my time there than do the people who get the "benefit" of my time. I had a little posse of very close friends, but many of them have moved away in the last few years--great to have people to go visit, not so great if you want to do something spur-of-the-moment with someone. For some of us being alone too much = lonely.
If there's one thing in my life that's missing; It's the time I spend alone
Sailing on the cool and bright clear waters; There's lots of those friendly people
Showin me ways to go; And I never want to lose your inspiration