[Laker14]

Originally Posted by Escape Artist

I’m originally from the Finger Lakes myself and I’d love to own a lake house there but property taxes are exorbitant.

yes they are.

[DonnaNi4os]

I have a dog and I prefer activities that include her. My dog’s idea of fun is going for a walk, stopping and communicating with some of the neighbors and then retreating to my lap. Yes, it limits many of the activities I might do did I not have her. But I am happy and content and I know many people who do the same. That doesn’t mean that I don’t do activities, but now that I am in my 70’s I am doing what makes me happy. My dog makes me happy.

[mntlblok]

Originally Posted by MandoMan

Hey, Person of Interest! Last night I was watching a DVD of the TV series Person of Interest! Great show.

Before I moved here I discovered Talk of the Villages. At the top of the page is Entertainment, and I dragged down to Clubs and went through all of them. I printed out the club names and descriptions for about a hundred I thought sounded like fun. I put them in a notebook. So how many have I attended? Very few. I gave up on the idea of pickle ball and softball (which I loved as a kid) after talking to people who played and finding out how often they are injured. I gave up on golf because it’s just too hot for me. I don’t play cards. I don’t do crafts. I discovered that it’s not easy to get into a woodworking shop— there’s a waiting list. But I loved playing my guitar and mandolin at home, so I went to a couple jams held at Rec centers. I had such a great time that I was soon playing in NINE jams a week. I don’t do things halfway, so I was soon devoting most of the rest of my time to practicing, learning new instruments, developing songs I could perform, learning more about the sorts of music I was playing. I was spending at least forty hours a week on this and having a grand time. For me, that is ONE OF the Villages Lifestyles. In a few months I found I couldn’t keep up with it all, so, I cut down to three a week, with extra ones now and then. Thursday through Saturday I keep free at present. I LOVE being retired here. I’m a Hedonist: I live for pleasure. That could be the pleasure of playing a great solo, or eating a great slice of pizza, or smelling the fragrant air here, or enjoying the beauty I drive past every day. I want to notice and consciously enjoy it all and avoid everything I don’t enjoy as much as possible. That’s my Villages Lifestyle, I plan to be here until I croak.

*Nothing* better than having a passion or two.

[Flyers999]

Nice topic and good replies.

So what is this mysterious Village Lifestyle that everyone talks about? It’s hard to define and changes frequently. But here’s my opinion. It's an unwritten agreement between the developer and the Villagers. Started with the original mission of Harold Schwartz and Gary Morse, which was to establish a place where a blue-collar worker could retire and play golf for life, just like wealthier guys who have more than them. But I digress....

The only thing I want to add to the replies we've had so far is that, yes, scaling back can be a good thing but can have its downside. If you are playing golf 3-4 times a week and drop down to 1-2 times a week, you are not going to play as well, and if you are playing with guys who are playing 4-5, then you might not have as much fun. It goes for any sport, tennis, softball, pickleball, etc.