If you are on the ‘right’ side of 50 years, chances are you would have many friends. Kindergarten friends, school friends, college friends, university friends, work colleagues, special interest group friends, etc
Busy, busy, busy
School friends are sometimes forgotten when you are in the throes of your 20s, 30s and 40s. So much to do with regards to your job, socialising with work colleagues, dating, getting married, having children and coping with their play dates, childhood illnesses, homework and tuition, and managing elderly parents and in-laws.
At each stage of your life, you find a new group of friends. With some of them, you part ways when you move on to a new phase of life.
Time to connect again
However, when you are past 50 years old, your children make less demands on your time. Working life may also be less competitive. If you are in good health, you may find that you have some extra time.
In this season of your life, you can re-connect with old friends. With social media, even organizing activities is not difficult.
Be the Organizer
The advantage of being the organiser is that you choose dates and times convenient to you, which means that you can be at every event you organize. I have heard of a group of friends who expected the organiser to also provide transportation and foot the bill. Needless to say, no other activity was organized for that group.
Unless one person is celebrating and wants to foot the bill, the easiest thing to do is to go Dutch.
Suggested Activities
Some activities that can be organised* include:
-a meal in an eating establishment
-potluck or home delivery if there is a willing host
-mahjong, card games, board games
-house visits to sick friends who are home-bound
-walks in parks, park connectors, etc followed by food and drinks
-film shows and stage shows like musicals and plays
-potluck picnics in parks
-karaoke sessions
-visits to places of interest like art galleries, museums
– overseas trips
-musical jam sessions
-soirées, which are home parties with usually classical music provided by musical friends
Anecdotes
A few anecdotes to share:
A small group of my friends met at the home of one person who has the good fortune of living near a rail corridor. We enjoyed our walk starting at 5.30pm. It had been drizzling all afternoon, but God answered our prayers and it was a cool, dry evening, perfect for walking. We walked to Star Vista, and spent time bonding over a Japanese meal. We then walked back along the rail corridor in darkness, as the corridor is not lit, with only our hand phone torches to guide us and God to protect this group of 4 ladies.
Ten years ago, a group of school friends flew to Australia to spend time with a friend who had terminal cancer. I would have gone, if not for the practical reason of my being in the Bahamas at the time, tending to my daughter who had just had her first baby. This baby is now 10 years old, hence my apparent good memory.
A third group of friends met regularly to practice singing Come back to Sorrento in Italian and English, with our own 2 guitarists, enjoying not just the musical jam session, but good conversation and bonding, and of course a delicious tea provided by our charming hostess.
Invite suitable groups of friends. They will in turn invite you when they organise activities. You will have an active social life. This will contribute towards you psychosocial health.
Oh, hello again!
*taking into consideration Covid restrictions
Feature picture of artwork by Yip Yew Chong
Thanks to Lim Soo Ping for photo collage.
lingsinglin
Dr Ling Sing Lin is a medical doctor by training. She worked in MOH HQ for many years, in policy making and administrative positions, until her retirement.
