Reply #7: A couple of ideas [View All]

[SnowGoose]

Your library probably has various reading clubs.

Local astronomy clubs are usually fun (I don't know what it is about nerdy people - they're (ok, WE're) pretty accepting.

Local Sierra Club. I did this when I was alone living far from my hometown. It's a good way to meet interesting decent people, and big fun if you're in to hiking/nature walks, and such.

One of the most rewarding things I did when I was alone and looking to integrate into a social structure was to volunteer for an AIDS support group. There's usually a fairly intensive training period for this kind of group, and it can be very useful, as there are often one-on-one and group learning exercises (relating to things like acceptance of others, active listening, death/dying issues, etc) that can shake loose some things in your brain that might have gotten cobwebby over the years.

Now dig it - I know this is going to sound totally self-serving, but if you're a straight guy (as I am) this is a great place to meet women. The group I trained with was almost all either gay guys (and by the way, gay Star Trek night is a real eye-opener) or really cool liberal women. Fundies, wing-nuts, and all-around conservative people just don't seem to join these groups (neither, to our discredit, do young straight guys join these groups in great numbers).