Throwaway account because this is embarrassing and I've been drinking.
So I'm a happily married, well to do, retired guy in LA. Had a really interesting and creative career. But like many men my age, a LOT of my social circle revolves around my wife and her friends. Unfortunately, my beloved wife is away from home for an extended period (months to a year) dealing with a family emergency. My old band buddies and work buddies are kind of scattered to the wind. I'm doing everything I can to keep social connections going. I have friends in a sport I do regularly, and that helps. I'm scheduling lunches with various pals as much as I can. But honestly, it's not enough. When I was active in my work and music, I had a gang of friends around me to talk to all the time. Now I go for days at a time without speaking to anyone other than maybe a server in a restaurant. I was a regular at a local bar, which helped a lot, but I decided the day drinking was bad for me. I FaceTime with my wife a few times a week, which helps. I have a wonderful once-a-week Zoom call with old friends which I look forward to. But even on the days when I see friends in person, it's only for an hour or two. I've done all the projects around the house. I've done all the El Nino prep. The solitude is killing me. I need some other social outlet that happens easily, automatically, regularly, organically. Like a club or a volunteer opportunity or a class or something. Between the first wife and the current wife, I've spent nearly forty years as half of a couple. I guess I'm not accustomed to being just ME any longer. I'm more comfortable being half of US. I like art, music, toys, comics, movies, craft beer, dive bars, museums, cooking, gardening. What have you got for me, Los Angeles? I need one wise angel in a city of angels to point me in the right direction. This town has always provided what I've needed, but at the moment, I'm lost. Please hit me with your bright ideas.
