Jan Fowler is a TV producer/host, national speaker, and award-winning columnist on senior topics. She is both widowed and divorced, has done considerable dating, and enjoys discussing the serious relationship she now shares with a gentleman whom she met in a ballroom dance class at a senior citizens’ center.
Look for her new television show, “The Jan Fowler Show for Baby Boomers & Others” which will be nationally syndicated beginning in January. The show will focus on topics of interest for those approaching retirement, including current events about the future of social security, healthcare, retirement benefits, etc. After November 20, you may order Jan’s new book, Hot Chocolate for Seniors, featuring more than 100 heartwarming, humorous, inspiring stories–including real-life stories about senior love and romance–from hotchocolateforseniors.com.
This month’s topic: “A New Year, a New Beginning!”
A new year. A new beginning. How lucky we are! The new year always opens the door to a fresh start, renewed hope, and provides us the chance to set new goals or remind ourselves of the endless possibilities that still lie ahead for our lives.
Time to drop the fear of failure and not be afraid to move forward. But a fresh start does require putting the past behind us. So let’s close that door firmly on the old year. Look forward, not backward. To stay in balance, we must forget about the setbacks and failures of yesterday and instead boast a positive shining winning attitude, full of positive expectancy. Because we should never never never give up on the hope of finding love and romance again! It happens all the time.
After all, Marilyn met Larry while checking her mail in the lobby of the apartment building where he lived on the seventh floor and she on the fourth. Amanda met Will at a forty-fifth high school reunion, and I met David in a waltz and rumba ballroom dance class on an ordinary Monday afternoon at a local Senior Center.
Could it be that all of us were open to the possibility of meeting someone new? You know what I mean. That we hung our “availability” shingle rather than our “no vacancy” sign on our foreheads? Being open is an outlook and attitude which may need to be cultivated and practiced, you know. It’s a way of connecting with another person, perhaps first with a casual smile and confident eye contact, then followed by light-hearted remarks, including good-natured humor if possible.
You might start by introducing yourself–first name only—and asking a simple question, e.g., “How do you happen to know…(here, you mention the host’s name if you met at a party)?” or “How long have you been coming to…(name the class you’re attending)?” or “How are you liking (again, name the activity you’re both participating in) so far?” I remember asking David which dance—waltz or rumba–he liked the best. It really doesn’t take much to make small talk, but you may want to hone your skills by practicing on total strangers in everyday places such as while waiting in a long line at the movies.
Even though school and work are among the most common meeting places, the Internet is buzzing with potential partners just waiting to fall in love with you. Admittedly, it takes some effort to create an upbeat profile, post a recent photo, and weed out the “unsuitables”, but I nevertheless urge you to give it a try! New dating sites are opening up all the time, so use bravado and switch to a new one if that’s what it takes to lift your spirits. After all, Jerry and Donna, my dear friends who met online and discovered they only lived ten minutes apart from each other, are still as happy as can be after five years of marriage.
It’s a brand new year, folks, so please stay open to meeting your true love and never give up!
