Ok, I have been in my RetCom** over a year now, but I had yet to join any regularly scheduled activity. I did try to start up a support group that would help hearing challenged folks here have a better life, but that was a bust. Hundreds of folks here wear hearing aids or have little hearing left, but few are interested in learning new ways to cope. I just wrote all the work and money I spent for that startup off as “lessons learned”.

But, now I am finally part of a regularly scheduled bi-weekly gathering called “Men’s Coffee and Conversation”. I lovingly call it the “Grumpy Old Men’s Club”. These twice a month meetings involves about a dozen or so men sitting around a table drinking coffee and eating donuts for an hour or so. I would say that it is mostly gossip, but men don’t gossip, so…

I have only been to three of these meetings so far, and I am kinda getting attached to some of these old farts. For the most part, I try to keep my mouth shut and let the other guys have the floor. After all, I have all my friends at RJsCorner to tell my troubles to, so that’s enough. 😎

The first session I attended, one of the guys tried to put a theme on our talks that day, but that just didn’t work out very well. We kept getting off the topic on a hodgepodge of different things. The second session was free flowing, you might call it disorganized. To be truthful, I can’t really recall any of the conversations now. Well, that is besides the discussion about how they are now being recorded. That required a little explanation. The third time, I seem to actually be fitting in! 🥸

I have three different ways that I use to “hear”. They all involve a speech-to-text app. I use one of those for this group. It involves an omnidirectional mic attached to my iPad. I insured the guys that their conversations are not saved, and like Las Vegas, what is said in the room stays in the room.🥸

I don’t know how long I will continue attending these conversations, but I will stick it out for at least a couple more before I make that decision. But, I kinda think this might be a long-term thing. I do need to get involved more in the social activities here in my RetCom. I think I am going to try the arts & crafts stuff next. Melissa, the leader of that and many other activities here assures me I will be welcomed.

** RetCom means “retirement community”