I like the ham radio idea...american_arcaneJuly 25 2009, 06:15:24 UTC
...it's good, classic, and social.
Other things I've known older guys to do: fishing, woodworking, part-time work in the local liquor store, or sitting at the end of the counter at the local diner sipping coffee, reading the paper and chatting up a storm with anyone in ear shot.
Most of those are small-town-like things, though... don't know how they'd work anywhere more suburban.
Re: I like the ham radio idea...threnodyerisJuly 25 2009, 06:54:49 UTC
He played some basketball in high school. he was in the air force rotc. he would have joined the air force to be a pilot but his eyesight was too bad. um. he started an electronics club.
in my lifetime, he hasn't really expressed any interests; he's never been a social person or had any friends to speak of. However, my in-laws really seem to like him, so maybe me and cee could try to arrange some sort of regular card game, i dont know. that's not a bad idea. i'll have her ask them if there's something they like to do that could involve 3 people.
Re: I like the ham radio idea...american_arcaneJuly 25 2009, 06:58:55 UTC
Model planes.
Maybe even the gas powered, radio-controlled type that actually fly.
Telescope is good, too. Astronomy always leads to interesting things... coupled with an interest in ham radio, there could be many hours spent listening for and tracking satellites.
Hummm... I hate to sound totally "old fogey", but perhaps bingo? My grandma used to love that. Also I def. agree with the other posters about getting him a radio. Heck, maybe you could find an old model radio on craigslist or ebay? I think he'd be happier with an older one, that he was more familiar with. A new one he'd probably just complain about how the old kind were better
( ... )
Model cars and planes, genealogy, astronomy, robotics, bingo, golf, trainspotting (people still do that!), learning a foreign language, swimming, birdwatching ... I'd say collecting but I think that can be a destructive habit ...
I sometimes take adult education classes at the local public schools (most recently I was taking them in Arlington Public Schools). You might want to look at some of these classes, there are some really good hobbies represented there. Here's the Fairfax County one for example: http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/OACE/
It's so easy to get into a rut. I hope he can get passionate about something again.
Volunteering can be a great way to get someone out and about. My father volunteers as a lighthouse keeper and my mother volunteers at her local library.
What about joining a book club?
There are a lot of great arts programs at the community centers around here, if he might be interested in photography or wheel pottery or painting, etc.
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Other things I've known older guys to do: fishing, woodworking, part-time work in the local liquor store, or sitting at the end of the counter at the local diner sipping coffee, reading the paper and chatting up a storm with anyone in ear shot.
Most of those are small-town-like things, though... don't know how they'd work anywhere more suburban.
What did he used to do when he was much younger?
Reply
he would have joined the air force to be a pilot but his eyesight was too bad.
um. he started an electronics club.
in my lifetime, he hasn't really expressed any interests; he's never been a social person or had any friends to speak of. However, my in-laws really seem to like him, so maybe me and cee could try to arrange some sort of regular card game, i dont know. that's not a bad idea. i'll have her ask them if there's something they like to do that could involve 3 people.
hm. maybe i could get him a telescope.
Reply
Maybe even the gas powered, radio-controlled type that actually fly.
Telescope is good, too. Astronomy always leads to interesting things... coupled with an interest in ham radio, there could be many hours spent listening for and tracking satellites.
Reply
Reply
I sometimes take adult education classes at the local public schools (most recently I was taking them in Arlington Public Schools). You might want to look at some of these classes, there are some really good hobbies represented there. Here's the Fairfax County one for example: http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/OACE/
It's so easy to get into a rut. I hope he can get passionate about something again.
Reply
What about joining a book club?
There are a lot of great arts programs at the community centers around here, if he might be interested in photography or wheel pottery or painting, etc.
Reply
Reply
Reply
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