jadel wrote:
On Feb 26, 3:11 pm, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

Retirement Community-- synonym for the vestibule to the mortuary.

God's waiting rooms, for sure. There are gated communities that cater to the
retired. To me, they are so contrived and structured that it would feel like
a prison. They are full, so I guess it's just us. ...

I have some older, retired friends who moved from the frozen wastelands
of Ohio into one of those gated communities. When I visited the first
time, I was shocked how HUGE it was; we went for miles after the gate
before reaching their home. It is a beautiful place, a lovely home and
they are very happy there. Caveat: they've never been untra social, so
it doesn't bother them they make no new friends from their neighbors.
They like the quiet and the security. They are both pursuing second
careers in their hobbies and seem quite pleased with their situation.
But their is another side for some people --


My mother will be 86 in April. She lives in Apopka. When she was
deciding what to do after my dad died in 2004 we asked her if she
wanted to move to a retirement community. "Why would I want to live
surrounded by all those old people?"

And that's it. There's a lot to be said for many folks about being in
the midst of life and the hustle and bustle of the daily grind. Keeps
them active and interested, younger in a sense. While I can't say that
when I'm at that stage I'll want to be annoyed by screaming children and
loud neighbors, I've always found the vitality of younger people
infectious, and can't imagine being surrounded only by a bunch of sedate
quiet traditional elderly. I'll still want folks to go dancing and
canoeing and skating and hiking with. I'll find a nice compromise
somewhere there's no winter...and don't worry, Mick, not FL. My friends'
experiences there in Ft.Ladida, Naples, and Titusville the last few
years have soured me on that idea. Now southern CA or the AZ desert, on
the other hand, sound very inviting...

If only there were some way to shield Key West from the
hurricanes...it's so lovely there I could see living there forever -
except for that one tiny problem!