Quote:
Originally Posted by MACH7SS
My wife and I semi-retired to the Windermere area in 2010. She continued working a couple of days in medicine and I worked the same days for the MOUSE. Now for a variety of reasons, we are debating a final, complete retirement move to the Villages. However, we have a few questions that can only be answered by current Villagers based on their own experience. Reading the "newbie" boards give lots of good advice but we want to hear answers directly from the "horse's" mouth. Here goes:
1. We are not golfers. Will we be accepted even though we are non-golfers?
2. We prefer to stay together as a couple. With all the "men's activities" and "women's activities".....will we have issues not participating in separate activities?
3. We are not into competitive activities. Will our desire to not participate in competition hurt us with friends?
4. Can one play a "fun" round of golf as a couple or a game of pickleball just as a couple for exercise?
5. Are there any groups that get together without memberships, dues, or parlimentary meetings?
6. If your village contains a majority of people who are dedicated to highly organized, competitive groups, how do you meet people from other villages who may fit your lifestyle more comfortably?
We are 65 and 64, reasonably active, friendly and outgoing. But we are not competitive with each other with little desire to be competitive with our neighbors. Our idea of a perfect retirement is sitting at the pool with our friends just watching another beautiful day pass us by in Florida. Can we move to the Villages and do just that?
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You can do anything you want and with whom you want to do it except for certain activities on the bandstand at night.
No Village is the same and I know of not one that has a reputation for any kind of group, especially competitive group. I go to ceramics, art studio and play golf, when I want to where I want to and with whom I want to and no one has ever used Roberts Rules of Order anyplace here in the almost ten years we have been here.BUT...we are expected to keep the pace on the golf course.
Lots of people do things as couples and some even dress alike. I am not competitive at anything and I am a poor golfer, although I have done it for more than forty years. On the other hand my husband is good at it and I would guess he gives it his best shot each time, because golf is really a competition against your own best game.
Most people seem to be very casual here about everything, especially membership in groups and particularly in how they dress. Rec centers have rules about dues and they expect for you to never have a money making enterprise in recreation facilities.
After awhile people make friends with those who make them feel comfortable and as fours or sixes or eights may go out to dinner or to each others houses for dessert.
It is a wonderful place for mostly traditional older people with a good sense of humor, and acquired life skills like patience, acceptance and appreciation of each day that is given us.