Men and Mustached Women Group

The Men's Group is going well. I'm glad they are having a time just to meet each other and talk about things that interest them. I just read a book called "Bel Canto" about a translator, and I feel somewhat like him during the group as I relate stories to others around the circle with different levels of hearing difficulties. At first the group felt overwhelming as I tried to think about what a group composed entirely of men would do. My budget doesn't include a cigar, sports games, or poker chip allowance and I was also worried my presence would interfere with the manliness of it all.

It turns out, men just like to talk sometimes. We start with introductions and I do try to come up with one or two topics to move things along if everyone doesn't jump into conversation. We've talked about branches of the service everyone has been in, places traveled to during the war and as a civilian, hobbies during retirement, places lived in, most beautiful sites in the continental America, etc. The men have a lot in common and enjoyed the chance to tell their stories and listen to others.

Lately I've noticed that the men are lingering after meals to chat with one another and are coming out to more activities if I mention that other members of the men's group will be there. Just for fun, I've been polling some women residents as to how many men we have in our area and the numbers they give are about 1/5 the actual count. Hopefully, as men become more comfortable with each other and more active outside of meal time, their presence will be more felt and their needs and desires more taken into account.

Before Men's Group this week I was giving out hand massages to some women. They asked "What's next?" and I had to disappoint them. Then I joked that could don a mustache and sneak in. So whenever anyone walked by I would do exactly that to explain my inclusion in the ring of men.