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Women Alone-A Future Re-Envisioned

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female friendships, living spaces, caregiving, agingAccording to 2009 statistics roughly one of every three baby bloomers is living alone. Many are divorced or widowed, some never married. And, many of them have no children.

I know it’s a topic I’ve contemplated–who is going to care for me in my old age? Is one of my sons going to step up? Will I be in a relationship by then, preferably with a younger man who will be able to provide for my care? Or will I have to go searching for a living arrangement that fills my needs?

Apparently many women are now turning to other women and forming ‘communal’ living relationships. My first reaction took me back to my boarding school days–I was apparently not an easy roommate. Could I realistically imagine living with a group of women–all equally set in our ways and unaccustomed to sharing our kitchens and living spaces?

I ran across this fascinating story on NPR, Boomer Housemates Have More Fun and it’s made me curious. The story focuses on a group of women living outside of Washington, D.C. The homeowner, Bonnie Moore, opened her house to 4 women who ‘rent’ from her and live,  ”a little bit like family, a little bit like roommates, a little bit like a sorority house…”.

There are a number of advantages to this kind of living arrangement:

  • Shared expenses help women with limited financial resources.
  • Shared responsibilities mean the work of housekeeping and cooking is less of a burden for any one woman.
  • The communal lifestyle can offer friendship and support for women who feel socially isolated.
  • There is the potential for sharing caregiving responsibilities.

 

You can read the article to learn more about these women and to read about the business venture started by Bonnie Moore, The Golden Girls Network.

So, I have some personal questions and concerns… they arise from my lifestyle and those lingering memories of high school roommates.

  1. What happens when one of the women has a very active sex life? Is there going to be enough privacy for her to feel comfortable having a man over? 
  2. Are you fighting over food, as in “where did my yogurt go? ” kind of thing? Are you labeling shelves, using marked containers?
  3. Sharing bathrooms! Ugh?

 

I’d go on but it’s just bringing out the hard-to-get-along-with teenager in me. Honestly, I think this is a great idea… I just can’t imagine the transition from living alone to being with a group of women.

Aging requires unique solutions and this one is brilliant. When the right mix of women come together there is a place for camaraderie, moral support, a lessening of financial burdens,  and more. I guess it all depends on the individual.

For me? At age 58 and 3/4, it seems too early. Ask me again in 10 years and I may have a different answer.

The post Women Alone-A Future Re-Envisioned appeared first on Walker Thornton.


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