When I found out that I needed a hip replacement at a too-young age, I first experienced shock, then denial, and then panic. But then I did something that brought me enormous reassurance: I made a list of everyone I knew who had been through this crisis, I called them, one by one, and gradually formed a posse of people who had lived to tell about it. And thrived.
It sounds a bit like a support group, and I guess you could call it that—but much more informal, and maybe more far-reaching, because the best part of being part of a little posse is when you can reach out to an even wider bunch of people…to bring comfort and joy.
This happened to a group of retired friends who met every Saturday morning at a Salt Lake City deli. The problem at hand? They were bored, growing tired of the same conversation week after week. They set up a card table at the nearby Salt Lake City farmers market and told people they were dispensing free advice.
They even made a large banner and hung it up. It said: “Old Coots Giving Advice–It’s Probably Bad Advice, But It’s Free.” And to their surprise, people started showing up and sharing their problems. A lot of them.
Be inspired by their example and the adventures of Alberto Chab, a 97-year-old who has started a podcast about being a senior (really senior) citizen these days.
Listen in!
SHOW NOTES:
Hauser, Jennifer, Cecilia Dominguez and Angelica Franganillodiaz. “Growing old can be lonely. A group of 90-year-olds turned it into a podcast.” CNN, March 25, 2025.
