Rolling with the changes

Life is very cyclic.

Most of us get married and then have children. We watch them grow and graduate and then they have children. For me some of my biggest joys come from spending time with my grandchildren.

But as they get older, they have their lives. For people who didn’t have children there are other changes. Friends move away, pass away or simply go away. In addition, lots of us will be going through at least one or more of the three D’s. Downsizing, divorce or the death of a spouse.

All of these changes can seem daunting but over the years I’ve developed some strategies that have helped me. Expanding your friend base opens up all kinds of experiences and information. Many people are going through the same things and it’s great to hear how others worked through different life changes. Using the Internet is a great way to meet people. There is a website called meetup.com that has groups that do things together. Just about anything you want to do has a group. From wine tasting to book reading, hiking and biking.

I have one called “Walk and Talk at Rocky Point.” It’s been around for three years and we’ve developed a great group of friends. We meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays and we walk and talk! We’ve become great friends and do lots of other things together. Another great way to meet people is to volunteer. You can volunteer at PPAC and get to see the shows for free. You can also volunteer at WaterFire in Providence.

Checking out the bulletin board in this paper also has lots of fun things listed. You can also find lots of fun things to do at your local library. There are classes and events going on all the time. I’ve meet lots of great people attending my city council meetings. Not only will the people attending live near you, you will instantly have something in common with them. The bottom line is to get out. You will probably feel out of your comfort zone in the beginning but it gets easier the more you do it.

Feel free to join me and my Rocky Point Pacers any Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. or Thursdays at 6 p.m. We meet at the gate near the small parking lot. What do you have to lose except maybe a few calories.

Check out my blog at SixtiesAndSexy.net.