Tag: aging

Socializing Challenges for Seniors in Westborough, MA


March 1st, 2025, Morning has broken here in Westborough, Mass. The day is overcast so far and 44 degrees as of 9:04 am. Like many days, I have many questions and opinions of my own. Yet, while my political opinions do not match everyone, but, this blog is not that.

Westborough being the size it is and with the population it does currently has wants to make improvements. I get it, for every village, town or city wants to get bigger and collect more taxes. It’s nothing new in American lore, so to say.

Here in Westborough, Ma., there is a growing senior population, of which I am one. There are now, 3 55 plus communities here in town. The price range is 300 grand and up depending on which one you chose. And most seniors tend to like condos, it seems.

The biggest problem with this is, simple, Seniors really just have certain things to do in town. YOu choices are the Library, The Senior Center, or Gyms. Then you have the bars and taverns in town.

The Taverns and Bars are ok if you are under 55 and younger. Or if you have a lot of money to blow. If your a Senior like me, you pay your bills first and secondly, you save your money. Bars are crowded with the 20’s, 30, and 40’s, for age ranges. They are geared to that age range of course. Not for the 55 plus crowd. The other problem is if your like me, a non-drinker, you know better.

There are no Movies in town to go watch. No, Social Dances for Seniors, or meeting places if you are senior and single. Of course if you ask around, people tell you to Volunteer for something. So, you can do that with such things as the Food Bank and such. Yet, while you get to work some and interact some, the chances are slim you will meet someone, to date.

So, what does one do is, your a widower or widow in Westborough, Mass. and 55 and up? Where do you go to socialize? Well some say go shopping and you may run into somebody and start chatting that way. The truth is, if you approach a stranger that way, they will look at you strangely. Casual conversations. do work sometimes. Un;less your like me. At 69, I keep to myself, and i talk to very few. Publicly approaching a woman for me is scary. In today’s world, many are lonely, not only the elder community but, all ages. The older you get, the harder it is to do, we get stuck in our ways. In America the loneliness syndrome is real folks, especially on the eats coast of America here and it is growing. I know many think, I don’t know what I am saying and it is easy to fix. It’s not folks !

While I love life, I love adventures, I love music, I love having fun. It doesn’t stop the loneliness Syndrome from hitting me. It doesn’t stop it from hitting anyone else either. I have seen it in stores, even in Taverns and Bars here in Westborough, even in the mall in Marlboro. People sit alone, they don’t talk or approach. today’s society, is scared of saying something wrong, being rejected. It is kind of crazy isn’t it?

I have learned, not to approach women. They have made themselves inaccessible or approachable. They put up walls, they avoid eye contact. They are very fussy, and place limits on what men they talk to. Most men are doing the same. Why, well it comes down to some simple thoughts and ideas.

  1. No one wants to be someone’s piggy bank folks.
  2. No one wants someone who doesn’t care about themselves, appearances count
  3. No one wants a negative person as a mate or partner
  4. No one wants to have someone force their way into their life
  5. Politics is playing a large factor these days too, especially since Trump was reelected.
  6. Religious or not religious also plays a role here
  7. People have to watch what they say and to whom they say it
  8. Anger is huge in this country now a days

My question is this folks, how do you overcome, approachment, apprehension or fear? How does one overcome being scared of being taken, for you money or property? How do we as Senior Citizens 55 and up, overcome all of the above? It is beyond me, for sure. I try, but, in the end, it does not seem to work for me.

Finding places to go do things for the 55 plus crowd is rough also. Some of us Bowl for fun now a days. A few, play pool. Many of us like to walk for exercise also. We read and we may write. Build Puzzles at home alone and stare at our televisions every night. We know, you shouldn’t stay at home alone. Yet we do so out of lack of places to meet those our age range. It’s uncomfortable for a Senior citizen 55 and up to sit among younger folks. We feel we don’t fit in. Is that hard to understand? I think not. So, I ask, what does one do, if you are 55 plus, or like me 69? Where do we go what do we do? I ask this, and usually get the same answers I mentioned above in this post. So, I ask one more time, where do the senior citizens meet one another? Remember, I am 69 now, and I have heard all the advice above i mentioned. Is there a better way to meet someone in my age range in Westborough, Mass or the area? Please do not tell me dating apps, been there, done that, waste of money in my opinion. Just asking here.

My Look at Ages in People!


       Wednesday is always hump day no matter what country, state or area your in. It’s the mid point everyone waits for so they can go down slope till the weekends. People all over the world work hard till the weekends, then they take all the money and effort they made and act like idiots and go out and get high or drink it all away. Why is that, ever wonder, it’s simple, a release of a weeks worth of pressure costs us money and time and looking stupid doesn’t matter, we are drunk or high or just acting stupid  It’s sorta like a revolving situation that we don’t outgrow till most of us hit our early 40s.  Outside we may be in our 40s but inside we are still in 7th grade and having fun, till we realize, oh shit I am screwing up and blowing what I have and make, then we all stop. There is something to say for  getting older and more mature.

       When your in your teens you can do anything and you usually do and end up in trouble at home or at school or else where, and the adult know what your doing, they did it too, so they let ya go ahead and learn.

         By your 20s your raising hell legally and doing it at the cost of your own paycheck and health and not giving a damn. You do it anyway and ya just don’t care cause you think it’s fun and what the hell everyone else is doing it too right!

         In your 30s you begin to realize, ut oh, my wallet or purse can’t take this and neither can my body, I have to stop, so you slowly start to widdle iot downa nd slow down, work is more importnat and so is paying the bills and the wife and kids.

       Then the 40s do hit and your like enough I have things to do, work to go to, bills to pay, a roof to keep over our heads. So you buckle down the beer and liquor go away, the pot disappears if there is any and you knuckle down to care for what you got. 

       Then ya get like me in my 50s, ya don’t drink, smoke, or run and fight no more. You have a home, a wife, and kids, you have responsibilities and a real life Now the only question you have at this time is, how did I get this far and did I do it right? Lol believe me that is how it goes? 

        I don’t know what the 60’s or 70s will bring  as far as age goes, but I do know if your lucky enough to get there you do start going backwards in actions and fun. So I am willing to wait and see what happens.

 

Aging and the Problem with it


Ever notice when your young, you want to be older to do all the things adults do, like drinking, smoking and others items, but when you get old enough to do them you don’t have the time, or health or want to do them anymore?  When your young your body os healthy and you can take on anything, try anything, and get away with anything, because your young, but when ya get older you get cautious and smarter.

         The biggest problem with aging is simple not only do you do it mentally and experience wise but you do it physically too. Imagine if you would, being a virile young 16-year-old with the same knowledge you have at 30? The things humanity could do then right? We would all be like Supermen and Superwomen, smart and still energetic and strong enough to do it all!.

        The problem with aging is, that after you get to a certain age, 50 and up, everyone starts to look at you as a senior and no one bothers to help you.  The next biggest problem with aging is, people want to take away the benefits you earned that you paid into all your life and you expect to have for retirement or assistance. Why? I will never understand it that’s for sure, but when one has to fight to keep Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, or Disability or all of the above something is really wrong. We all paid into these plans, in good thoughts and for our own security when we do age, but now, Congress wants to take it all away from us.

        Before I go on, there is one thing for all to remember, I know, I know, your all going to say, there are too many of us baby boomer children for these programs to pay for  and it will put the country broke. I give you my thought on this one, we didn’t ask to be born a part of a baby boomer spurt or era or years, but we are here and we deserve what our ancestors and mothers got for assistance also, we paid in. So stop trying to blame the numbers of elderly for the problems in Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and stop borrowing the money from our assistance programs we paid into for other things in government, and lets replace what you took out and borrowed and no one will hurt without benefits then.

        The problem with aging is looking back and knowing now that if you had the hindsight at a younger time in your life you would have done things different, We can’t roll back time, nor can we ignore what sits in front of us. Due to the fact the 1950s and 60s, produced a baby boomer population we now have roaming America, you can’t take from them the benefits they earned working and paying into all their lives. Wake up and leave the elderly alone, stop borrowing from Social Security, leave Medicare and Medicaid alone, what else will we have in our old age?  Before you touch these programs and harm us aging americans and your forefathers and mothers, stop and think, what will you in the end have to fall back upon once we are gone, if you destroy Social Security and Disability payments and take away Medicare and Medicaid now? Unless you come up with a better solution, I suggest you fix what exists and make it solvent and reliable for the future.

        Other wise, those who can’t afford to buy their own insurance and who rely on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, will come knocking at your doors in rural america and asking you for help personally. Would you like millions of baby boomers on your doorstep asking why you cut benefits from them. I think not, so wake up!