Category: Social Life

Making New Friends

Cookie the Dog

Early in the evening of our first day in our new home, there was a knock at the door, and our dog, Kiki, made sure we knew there was someone standing outside. That’s how we met Jackson and Betty, our neighbors on our left. In an instant, we had new friends. When you meet kindred spirits, it’s almost magical how quickly you can bond with them. Jackson and Betty were just completing their fifth year at Otterbein Pemberville, and needed us as much as we needed them, as the residents on our court were getting a little long in the tooth. Within days, the four of us were setting up activities and planning future outings. Jackson is a retired contractor/builder and has considerable handyman skills that helped us negotiate the usual hiccups that go with any move. Carolyn has written in a separate post of how we met our other neighbors, Debra and Paul, so I won’t go into any detail about that here.

When I joined the Army after high school, I was thrown into a mix of every race, creed, and education level, and all of us got along fine, because we were “soldiers.” In a CCRC, all residents are essentially equal, kinda like the Army, though without the regimen and drill sergeants! The rule I live by to get along with all my neighbors is to leave religion and politics at the front door. Friendships without politics or religion can be deep and rewarding. What really counts is intellect, and there’s plenty of it in a CCRC. What you have in common with all the residents is that you made the choice to live there.

You’ll make new friends easily, and you don’t have to give up your old ones. A CCRC is a great equalizer, because basically nobody has any more than anyone else. You’ll be surrounded by people of pretty much the same social and economic class as you, because your fellow residents have probably the same amount of money as you, and in the USA, that’s what defines you, like it or not. Besides, the rich will go their own way.

What?! Free Yoga and Cable TV!

As part of the registration process, Otterbein Pemberville included a form for us to list all our current expenses at the house, for example, taxes, utilities, cable TV, repairs, etc. These figures were written in a column, beside which was another column of what those costs would be at Otterbein, which were all pretty much “Free” or “No Charge.” Bottom line, Otterbein bears the expense of cable channels, utilities, taxes, and all repairs. When we compared the two columns, we saw that it was essentially a wash — we would be almost breaking even in the bargain! (That’s not quite true, but close enough.)

The cable TV is a real bargain, and among the channels is Otterbein Pemberville’s own internal channel (more about that in a future post), but it doesn’t include the Internet, which is a small expense for a blindingly fast connection (over 100 mbits, for you geeks). What we didn’t fully realize is that the Village offers all kinds of free programs, such as concerts, excercise classes, and my favorite, yoga four times a week. The yoga instructor, Cassandra, teaches in the local university’s music department, and she and her significant other perform in a live concert once a month here. She’s even had some of her students perform, as well. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, as far as musical performances go, but more about that in a future post.

It seems like every week Otterbein Pemberville has a tour arranged at a nearby tourist attraction, transportation provided, often meal included (for a small, extra fee). These are first-rate tours, and the food is prepared by local restaurants. The bus is air-conditioned, the tours are guided, and the experience always unforgettable!

This is just a sampling of the perks at the Village. I bring them up here for two reasons — 1) There’s plenty to do that would cost a lot of money if you did it in your old life; and 2) Every time you take a class or go on a tour, think of it as lowering the cost of living at a CCRC. You just might learn something new in the process.

Three Angels

I said to Jim, “You’re already into the community in your blog, but I’m not there yet.”  I will get to the subject of living here, but now I want to write about the three angels.  I was sitting here exhausted while Jim was out someplace on our first night here.  I could not get into the kitchen through the tower of unpacked boxes.  Nothing to eat.  There was a knock at the door.  A young woman handed me two meals from the Big House kitchen. (We call the main building the Big House.) I said, “You re an angel from heaven, thank you, you don’t know how much this means to me.”  I tried not to cry.  That’s when I knew we weren’t going to starve to death.  On the contrary, I am now trying to lose the weight I gained from chocolate croissants and moving stress.

The second angel was Debra.  I was passed out on the couch on the second day when the doorbell rang.  My next door neighbor was there with a welcome card and a gift for us.  We liked one another from the first minute we met.  I felt as though she could be my sister.  What a precious gift of welcome just when I was feeling quite lost.

The third angel visited to bring us all of the information for new residents. She is designated shepherd of our court. Every court has a shepherd who meets with management. She is a musician and we can play together! We are thinking about a Christmas program. We enjoyed meeting each other and I just gained another good friend. How blessed we are with two new couples who have already become good friends. We haven’t even been here a week yet. We were concerned that we would not meet anyone or make friends. They have helped us in ways they will never know.