How does one socialize in RTP?

[lovebrentwood]

Kathleen, thank you so much for your kind words.

Identifying a neighborhood that's perfect for you depends on so many things.

I really don't know of any one neighborhood that might fit your needs off the top of my head. My subdivision, Brentwood (in North/Northeast Raleigh), has empty nesters (including yours truly) and is convenient to everything, but there are many, many areas around here that might fit the bill.

You might ask your friend in North Raleigh for suggestions or maybe others on this board can chime in.

As far as reinventing yourself -- think about Grandma Moses. She reinvented herself in her 70's when she began painting: Grandma Moses - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My psychology professor in college went back to school at age 50 to become a psychologist; he had been a caterer! There's someone in our neighborhood who was a journalist and became a lawyer in his 50's.

It's never too late to reinvent yourself, careerwise or otherwise. We're just all going through yet another of life's passages. I think this is one passage where we have more power and control than any other (less family pressure, fewer family obligations, and many people have fewer financial concerns).

It's not easy, but it's possible. During these economic times, I think people of all ages are in some way reinventing themselves.

As that old cliche goes, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."

[twoisbetter]

The first year we moved here we had our kids birthday party at the house, invited all the neighborhood kids, and cooked burgers. Food will bring them out! Find some reason to have a party!

[lovebrentwood]

As a P.S. to my earlier post, another cliche: "Bloom where you are planted." It doesn't so much matter where you live, but it matters whether or not you interact in some way with the people around you, whether they live next door, down the street, the next town or two towns away. Meetup.com happens to provide a way to make that easier than it ever was.

As far as food, that is so right ("Food will bring them out!"). I used to work for PBS, and I remember the head of the volunteers always saying that FOOD was the one thing that would bring people together.