Another thought (not mutually exclusive) — if you play cards, start or join a poker game. I was invited to one in 1980, and though obviously some of the participants have changed, the game continues! We played weekly at first. The stakes were low — nickel, dime, quarter — and the point of the game was to make sure everyone came back next week.
One of the players was a city planner and had council meetings Wednesday nights, so we stayed with his kids until he or his wife got home and he could join the game. Creative babysitting! I spent 20 years as a journalism vagabond, but the game kept going, if less frequently. Every time I returned to visit family, we would have a game. I have since moved away again, so the guys play two or three times a year, and meet for a beer at least once a month or do other things together (two of them were/are serious canoeists/campers, and have taken others with them).
The connections we made are priceless. And the entry fee is cheap!
When I left university administration for the coaching and consulting world, I wanted to keep in touch with the colleagues with whom had worked over the years. I am not a breakfast guy, but lunch -- now there is something for guys! So many bars are great places for lunch; it's a great environment for guys: Lots of TVs, tasty beverages, and food frowned upon by the American Heart Association.
What I have found out is that if it is going to happen, I have to be the one to initiate it. There are about 10 people on my Lunch List, so every couple of months, I text them to set something up. Hell, just about everybody eats lunch; as an added incentive, I offer to buy. I really like connecting with the old gang, a group with whom I shared so much for so long. It would be nice if they were in touch with me, but my life is more flexible these days so I take on that role. Besides, if I didn't, I wouldn't have the pleasure of their company.
I also have some old friends from other jobs and even a few old college roommates that I see regularly but less often. I make the long drive to Milwaukee for Brewers games to stay in touch with them. I've been doing a podcast for 20 years with one of my old pals from a previous job, so while we don't see each other in person much, during the football season we talk regularly when we do our show.
One of my concerns in leaving full-time work was becoming isolated. That hasn't been a problem these first three years but I expect it might become more problematic as the years go by.
Great advice, Joel.
Another thought (not mutually exclusive) — if you play cards, start or join a poker game. I was invited to one in 1980, and though obviously some of the participants have changed, the game continues! We played weekly at first. The stakes were low — nickel, dime, quarter — and the point of the game was to make sure everyone came back next week.
One of the players was a city planner and had council meetings Wednesday nights, so we stayed with his kids until he or his wife got home and he could join the game. Creative babysitting! I spent 20 years as a journalism vagabond, but the game kept going, if less frequently. Every time I returned to visit family, we would have a game. I have since moved away again, so the guys play two or three times a year, and meet for a beer at least once a month or do other things together (two of them were/are serious canoeists/campers, and have taken others with them).
The connections we made are priceless. And the entry fee is cheap!
When I left university administration for the coaching and consulting world, I wanted to keep in touch with the colleagues with whom had worked over the years. I am not a breakfast guy, but lunch -- now there is something for guys! So many bars are great places for lunch; it's a great environment for guys: Lots of TVs, tasty beverages, and food frowned upon by the American Heart Association.
What I have found out is that if it is going to happen, I have to be the one to initiate it. There are about 10 people on my Lunch List, so every couple of months, I text them to set something up. Hell, just about everybody eats lunch; as an added incentive, I offer to buy. I really like connecting with the old gang, a group with whom I shared so much for so long. It would be nice if they were in touch with me, but my life is more flexible these days so I take on that role. Besides, if I didn't, I wouldn't have the pleasure of their company.
I also have some old friends from other jobs and even a few old college roommates that I see regularly but less often. I make the long drive to Milwaukee for Brewers games to stay in touch with them. I've been doing a podcast for 20 years with one of my old pals from a previous job, so while we don't see each other in person much, during the football season we talk regularly when we do our show.
One of my concerns in leaving full-time work was becoming isolated. That hasn't been a problem these first three years but I expect it might become more problematic as the years go by.