The Importance of Friendship for Older Men by Julie Beck – The Atlantic

Julie Beck presents an interesting story about a group of four friends who became life-long friends at an advanced age. They created the “Jebus Conference” based on Homer Simpson’s sacrilegious comments about unknowingly being “forced” to be a missionary in the South Pacific. Clip is above.

The article is an interview of these four older men, who are friends. They get together regularly for these “conferences” where they have a reading list and discuss their thoughts on the ideas presented there. The conferences are mostly an “open forum” style get together held at places all over the world.

“…It isn’t just loneliness that a lot of people experience at that age. It’s almost a sense of despondency, and that manifests itself in all sorts of destructive ways.

You really need people around you. Otherwise you start believing the voices in your head. We are wired for community, and not that many people, our age in particular and maybe even more our gender in particular, have communities that can right the ship if what they’re thinking is a little wacky.”

It’s an interesting read. As men, at any age, look for other people to spend time with on a regular basis. Try and find friends with mutual interests and outlets where you can express your thoughts and feelings. Initiate with others time to get outside, go see a movie, grab a coffee. Know what you are comfortable with. Maybe you are more comfortable one-on-one with a friend or a small group, as opposed to a bigger group of ten or more people.

– Jason