Welcome to the Online Community!

[VickiM68]

Hello and welcome to the Introduce Yourself forum! Feel free to tell us a little bit about yourself below--your background, interests, hobbies, etc. And also check out our other forums for other interests and questions you may have and would like to share.

[MelvynF775431]

Hey SDMdM, I’m in the Inland North County of San Diego area.

[LeeS4949]

Welcome Melvyn 🙂 Enjoy!!!

[MelvynF775431]

Thank you Lee.

[MargaretF785012]

Just trying to find somebody to chat with.  will see if this goes through.

[MargaretF785012]

I sent the message above, but not my name.  AARP has had me running around in circles for the last 30 minutes and still has not gotten my name right.  

Just wanted to talk to somebody.  

[MargaretF785012]

The love of my life passed away on his 60th birthday of Covid.  we were together 28 years.  We were doing that Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell thing and I never thought he would go before me (65). If you are on the GH./KR plan please reconsider because the heirs can attack!

I have been alone now 5 months. My family are all passed away.  I have wonderful neighbors who take care of me but they have their lives, etc.

I would really like to talk to someone m/f about books because books are the only thing that have saved me.

[CarleneS]

HI Margaret,

I am so sorry to hear about your loss...and from COVID, that has to been even worse, since never in our wildest dream growing up would be this threat. Again, I am truly sorry.

My husband of 37 years passed away in November and the loneliness is something I never experienced before. The evenings are the worse for me. I was lucky enough to still have my sisters around the country checking in on me but a 20 minute phone call every few weeks is not the same. 

I would love to talk to you about books, what have you currently read? 

Stay well, safe and my thoughts are with you on this new journey.

Carlene

[JackE404783]

Glad to talk, Margaret. I am a reader of suspense and mystery novels, concentrating on Daniel Silva and David Baldacci. I read the entire Gabriel Allon series during the pandemic. I fully understand and appreciate your sharing your story. Please accept my deepest condolences on your loss. I am also a Veteran and retired Social Worker. Looking forward to hearing from you soon. 

[Anonymous]

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@MargaretF785012 wrote:

The love of my life passed away on his 60th birthday of Covid.  we were together 28 years.  We were doing that Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell thing and I never thought he would go before me (65). If you are on the GH./KR plan please reconsider because the heirs can attack!

I have been alone now 5 months. My family are all passed away.  I have wonderful neighbors who take care of me but they have their lives, etc.

I would really like to talk to someone m/f about books because books are the only thing that have saved me.

---

💥 Dear @MargaretF785012 I am so sorry for your loss 😭 How are doing today? Lots of hugs, Angela 💥

[d966013h]

Books have been a life saver for me, as well!  I know this time must be difficult but have you tried Goodreads?  It's a community of book lovers.  I joined several years ago. Very sorry for your loss.  d.

[Anonymous]

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@d966013h wrote:

Books have been a life saver for me, as well!  I know this time must be difficult but have you tried Goodreads?  It's a community of book lovers.  I joined several years ago. Very sorry for your loss.  d.

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💥 Hi @d966013h what type of books do you like to read? Any favorite authors? I luv mystery and do not have a fav author at moment. Been away from reading for a few years. Now that I am retired I need to stop by the library. Angela 💥

[d966013h]

Tana French is amazing-- detective writer!  I drive a lot so I've been listening to the audio books.  She writes beautifully. Read some of the reviews of her books. I am totally hooked.

[Anonymous]

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@d966013h wrote:

Tana French is amazing-- detective writer!  I drive a lot so I've been listening to the audio books.  She writes beautifully. Read some of the reviews of her books. I am totally hooked.

---

💥I will @d966013h 😁 Angela 💥

[jb1702]

I am so sorry. Can I ask, what is the "Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell thing"? I don't typically keep up on the latest on celebrities' lives, but I would like to know what it is you are relating to in their situation, if you would like to share.🙂

Jennifer

[LindaB671]

@MargaretF785012 I am so sorry for the tremendous unimaginable loss of your husband. There is a ‘Grief & Loss’ forum under ‘Caregiving’.

You can change your username if you click on ‘my profile’ then go to ‘update profile name’.
As for books, I have the ‘Libby’ app on my phone, but I’m not much of a reader lately.

I tried to send you a ‘private message’ but it looks like your messaging is not set up yet.

[nahchoo]

I'm not new to AARP but I'm fairly new to these forums. I just figured that I'd take my own advice and say, "Hello everyone!" I'm enjoying myself here and enjoying my retirement. I'll be going into my 9th year of being so situated this coming November 1st. I was a street walker for a bit more than 27 years and with 4 years I spent in the United States Navy, I was fortunate enough to retire at the ripe old age of 56. I'm 65 now. Actually this is my first full day of being 65. My birthday was yesterday but I wasn't born until 7:20 AM on that day in 1955. So, as I said this will be my first "full" day.

I enjoy many things, computers hold a special place in my heart but music (listening, not playing), reading (and writing some), gaming, conversation (love that!), travel, and a whole host of other things as well. I like to think that I'm interesting and I know that I'm interested in the world and the people who live in it with me. (That'd be you, dear reader of these words.)

If you're up to it, say hello to me, either here or via a PM. Either is fine. I don't imagine that I'll get so many that I won't be able to answer them all, so chances are good that if you reach out to me, I'll reach right back. Why not? I have time to spare, especially being home-bound most days with Covid putting a damper on most of what used to be fun!

I live in Columbus Ohio, if that's a concern and I imagine that it is for some. I was born here but I don't have a plan to die or be buried here. I've been looking for a location and a reason to relocate for a long while and anyplace on earth would be fine with me. If you know of someplace that you think I might enjoy, let me know. I'm open to suggestions and new friendships. I believe in the goodness of people as a whole and the AARP community in general. Oh and lest you wonder about my job description above, street walker. Yes, I did that for many years but a street walker can also be used in reference to a mailman. That's the kind of street walker I was. Or a lettercarrier if you prefer a less gender specific term. But now, I'm just some guy. Cheers!   😉

[ldarmogray]

Not sure how to get started on here. Any advice would be appreciated. 

[AARPMichaelP]

Hi @ldarmogray - You have come to the right place. We recently did a redesign of the community. This will help explain more: Online Community Refresh

Additionally, here are some How To's to help you navigate your way through the community and better explain functionality:

How To Start a Topic

How To Reply to a Post

How To Use the Icons

How To Set My Viewing Preferences

How To Display Discussions in Chronological Order

Enjoy and let us know if you have any questions!

[nahchoo]

It looks to me like you're making progress already. You figured out how to post a message. Now all you have to do is sit back and wait for the responses to begin pouring in!

Best advice I can offer is, don't expect too much here. The internet and AARP are big, huge places and by ourselves, we can get overlooked pretty easily. But don't despair, there's hope and plenty of it too, to have fun here!

When you say "get started on here", I'm not sure and many others too might not be sure, as to what you mean by that statement. I'd suggest something less ambiguous. For example; If you like music, so do many others, there are groups for that, or games, if you like games, there a lots of others who like them too. You can look around in the sections and find something that sounds interesting then post a "Hello there, how did you get to be so good at ..?" in any that seem appealing.

You know who I am now, and I didn't know how to get started either so I just started anyway. People are very accommodating and friendly here, for the most part. It's just like life, stick your hand out, wear your best smile and see what happens. It's all virtual though. No one can see your smile so you have to be creative to help them to see it. Not all of my experiences here have been positive ones but more have been positive than not. You've got this, you just don't know so yet! 😉

[MichaelM1717]

  Greetings From Tucson, Arizona.  

   My name is Michael and hope to maybe chat or reply to some of the posts.  Take care everyone and be safe.

[jb1702]

Greetings!  I am also new to this forum, having just discovered it when I did a Google search for something else.  I am hoping the conversations here are more interesting and inspiring than those on Facebook. 

I put just about everything you might want to know about me (and probably a lot that you didn't) in my profile description.  Anyway, I will probably lurk around for a while and see if there is anything of interest to comment on.

I hope everyone is staying healthy, safe, and sane!

[Syndellica01]

Hey Everyone,

My name is Cyndi and I’m new to this forum. Found it by accident. I am a visually impaired lady living in NC. i have a guide dog that I love very much. I’m a former background actress having been in several projects. I love meeting new people. Looking forward to hearing from you.

[JesseM399890]

Hi there, my name is jesse  l'm 63yrs young, seeking female companion to share  life with...

[BruceB26028]

Hi, my name is Bruce I just moved to a 55+ community and was just curious to meeting single ladies in my area. Sun City Calif.

[lhsevret]

HI BRUCE
Good Luck in your new home... I am to far to meet you but I wish you happiness and luck in finding that special lady....

[DebbieM230685]

Hello, I'm Debbie. Glad to be here. I've been married to a great man for 39 years now. We have 4 girls and one boy which is the youngest. We have 14 grandchildern and 1 great grandchild on the way. Our youngest grandchild is 2 and he's our  everything. So much like our son at that age.

  We live in a small town in Missouri. It used to be considered the country but it's booming, sometimes too fast for me. I love working in my flower beds and my house plants. I enjoy cooking and taking of my home and our kids.

  I worked as a Supervisor in the Housekeeping department at a hospital and love every minute of it. All the co-workers in every department are Awesome people. It's like one big happy family. Everybody knows everybody. My staff are the greatest people you would ever know and Yes, I'm very proud of each of them.

  I do have small, very smallhealth issues but it's nothing that gets me down or keeps me from enjoying family and just life.

  But anyway, glad I'm here.

[VickiM68]

Hi @DebbieM230685,

Happy New Year, and welcome to the online community! Sounds like you have a good life in Missouri. Let us know if you have any questions as you explore the various forums.

Vicki

[diandollion]

Hello to the community.

I've been coming to this site for many years to gain info  and have just realized this community is here.

lol

Anxious to read all your posts and may join in from time to time 🙂

My interests are all over the place from animal lover to music lover to trying to find a good place in the country for a permanent roost.

HA!

Hoping to have fun with you all.

*smile*

[VickiM68]

Hi @diandollion 

Welcome to the online community! Glad you found us! There are lots of interesting discussions happening in various forums. Some you might want to check out: Dogs, Cats, and Pets; Rock N' Roll; and Retirement.

Let us know if you have any questions as you explore.

Vicki

[Bea2846]

It has always been difficult to me to write a response because I get lost where to write the answer, for instance, now if I want to say something to the group in Florida, do I go go especifically to that group? or they will catch-up?

Happy New Year to everybody anyway,

Bea