About loneliness among seniors

[question everything]

There is a long story about it, below.

But I think that it is not so much of whether one is married, or co-habit with others. I think that it is support from outside the home.

I am reading a book called "Women in Sunlight" describing three women who went to an open house of a retirement community. None is impressed and they click and ending up renting a villa in Tuscany. One of them observed that it was strange to form new friendship at their age - around 70 - but that other friends die, or get sick, or move away..

We moved many times. Job termination, seeking something better, and we ended up not forming any new ties. Yes, we have our neighbors that we nod and wave but this is it. Perhaps it is us, perhaps it is the community where we moved but there are people who have lived here for many years and have no interest in forming new ties.

And I think, really, it started with the baby boomers. Our fathers worked for the same employer for 30 or more years, then retired with nice, generous pension and medical care. I started to say traditionally but am not sure about that. I don't know how long people were employees forking for employers. A little before WWII?

But we, the boomers, were not going to be tied for the same employer, did not see the benefit of "loyalty" and employers, in turn, do not see the benefit of "loyalty" to employees.

We form friendship, or meet new acquaintances online but this is really different. There are places here that offer various activities for seniors and, I think, starting in 2019, I will go look at their menu.