Eighteen months ago, the life I had known ended. Fortunately, I had, and have, wonderful family and friend support. However, relatively quickly it hit me that virtually everyone with whom I had more than an incidental relationship was a couple. And while we could still have a connection, the dynamic had somehow changed. When some activity was being planned by one or another of my circles, I was no longer first on its mind.
I felt I had to keep giving reminders that I wanted to be included. As the months passed, as the fear of COVID slowly eased, and as the weather improved, I ventured out to hike, kayak, and golf.
It was during a group hike that I first heard about Meetup groups. In the Charlotte area alone, hundreds of such groups are using the Meetup. Initially I focused on active outdoor activities, but after a while I thought I might explore some social groups. So I felt comfortable joining a singles social group with a diverse membership.
After seeing how it operated and coming to appreciate the valuable service it provides to singles who want to socialize, form friendships, and join together for fun activities and events, the idea of a Jewish-focused meetup group began to germinate.
Its focus is on singles ages 45 and over. We have held our first event, an evening of music and good conversation at the Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill and are busy planning our future outings. Our goal is to host at least one event per month. We look forward to welcoming to the group anyone who is born Jewish, has converted, or has some reasonable connection to Judaism.
