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As you age, you may find it rather lonely. Your friends move on, your family is all raised, and your retirement is rather dull. What should you do now? How do we make new friends at all? The concept has not changed since we were children. You meet someone new, you connect with them, and you begin to bond. The tricky part is meeting someone new. Social norms dictate that you can not just walk up to someone and strike up a conversation. I have never made a friend with someone who randomly walked up to me to strike up a conversation. The average success rate is low but not zero on that front. Let us look at a few ways you might be able to make new friendships.
Volunteer Work
When you were younger, making new friendships was much easier because you were around so many people. Now that you have finished all your work, it is time to play. But who with? Like the good old days, getting a job is the best way to meet new people. I know what you are thinking. Why would I get a job after I retired recently from my last one? Well, the concept of the work is the same, but the pay is much different. Volunteering is a very advantageous opportunity. Volunteer work keeps you busy, and you can choose what cause you want to contribute to. Unlike paid work, the payment you receive is the fulfillment you get from serving others. The best part is that you get to choose from a plethora of volunteer opportunities. This website is an excellent resource for seniors, so check it out here.
Become A Regular
Another way to expand your social circle would be to become a regular at your favorite local bar, restaurant, coffee shop, etc. You can frequent these local hot spots and become friends with your barista, server, or bartender. Be careful, though; being a regular does not mean you are the king or queen of the castle! You must mind your manners and remember that these workers are humans, too! Make sure you do not ask too many questions, take up too much time, or tip poorly. The workers at these establishments are required to be nice to you. You must not take their pleasantries as permission to overstay your welcome. Remember, servers make their living off of tips. If you stay the entire day talking to one of the servers, your actions could rob them of a table, making them earn less money.
Join An Online Community
One of the best innovations over the years has to be our online presence. There is an online community for just about anything you are interested in. Reddit is a great jumping-off point for chatting with strangers online. Do you enjoy bird watching? There is a subreddit for that. Do you enjoy period-specific movies? There is a subreddit for that, too. Look online for a community to join with interests that fancy you. You never know; you may even create the first-ever online community behind oddly shaped crackers. If that is what you are into, I don’t judge.
There are many possibilities out there for you. Try a few things and see how you like them. There is no right or wrong way to expand your social circle. What works for someone else may not work for you. I would suggest giving each of these methods a try; you never know until you try. If you struggle to find ways to expand your social circle, take to YouTube or other mediums to learn how to do just that. You may find yourself a brand-new channel to follow.
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