Magazine

Friend Power

Making Connections that Count

“True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. To find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing.“

— Baltasar Gracian

Friendships define nearly every stage of life.

From playing with neighborhood pals during elementary school, to hanging out in junior high, to exploring adolescence through high school, and then branching out at college and at work, many of us can relate each era to a specific friend or friends.

As time, geographical distance, career choices, military service, marriages, families, divorces and other turning points make their marks, friendships can fizzle. While new situations offer opportunities for new friendships, sometimes it’s just easier to keep to yourself.

Do You Have Friends?

By the time people pass middle age, many find themselves friendless, isolated and lonely. Twenty-eight percent of people 65 and older live alone, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

About two-thirds of older men report not having a close friend, and 16 percent of widows have no friends. This can take a toll on one’s emotional, mental and physical health. Social isolation and loneliness are linked to higher risks of cognitive decline, depression, chronic disease and mortality in adults 52 and older, according to a study published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

If misery loves company, consider this: 10,000 people nationwide turn 65 or older every day. Locally, 282,513 people age 60 and older live in Cuyahoga County. Adults 60 and older constituted 21.3 percent of Cuyahoga County’s population in 2010. By 2030, this population is projected to grow to 31 percent, outnumbering those younger than 20, according to The Center for Community Solutions.

Taking into account this strength in numbers, this age group is in a prime position to reach out to friends — new and old — for meaningful companionship, support and human contact.

Getaway

Fabulous Pittsburgh Food Finds

Drink (in a Church), Nosh (on a Walk) & Shop (Where the Chefs Do)

By Paris Wolfe

My parents are from Western Pennsylvania so I should know Pittsburgh. I know all about yinz, gutchies and gumband. I eat no-bake cookies and gobs. And before I was introduced to “Barney” on TV, I thought everyone said “red up” when they meant “clean up.”

Still, it took until this year before I devoted 24 hours playing in the Steel City. I went armed with my GPS to untangle the web of freeways and one-way city streets. The elegant Renaissance Pittsburgh — in the historic Fulton Building — was my headquarters for the Friday-Saturday stay and offered its own Pittsburgh-centric room touches.

We indulged in sampling of the city’s myriad food experiences. It’s culinary wealth has me eager to return.

Here’s where we went and what we did.

1. Church Brew Works, 3525 Liberty Ave. (412-688-8200, churchbrew.com). We left downtown Cleveland at 3 p.m. Friday and, with stops, arrived at the church on time — 5:30 p.m. — to meet my cousin and her husband. After all, doesn’t everyone from Northeast Ohio have family in Pittsburgh?

The Church Brew Works opened in 1996 in a repurposed 1902 Catholic church. The owners maintained as much of the original structure as possible, including the hand-painted ceiling and the pews shortened for seating. The confessionals store alcohol, and the vibrant blue altar is used as brewing space. The building is one of a few repurposed Catholic churches that retains original stained glass windows.

The food and beer — note, two IPA offerings — are as worthy of admiration as the building.

1. ’Burgh Bits and Bites Food Tours (412-901-7150, burghfoodtour.com). Sylvia McCoy is genius with food tours that sample the cultural anthropology of Pittsburgh neighborhoods.

Students and Seniors Discover Common Ground in an Uncommon Place

Justine Myers and Laura Berick’s friendship blossomed in an unlikely place: a senior apartment complex in the heart of University Circle.

Despite their nearly 60-year age difference, their friendship grew within the walls of an innovative intergenerational housing experiment started at Judson Manor in 2010. Justine is 25, an oboist and a graduate of nearby Cleveland institute of Music.  Laura is 81, the grandmother of six, and a former first grade teacher and art gallery owner.

A few years ago, Judson Manor had a handful of apartments that were too small to use for their residents. They were the perfect size for a college student.

Housing in University Circle is always tight. Judson board members reached out to CIM. Was there a way to provide free housing in Judson Manor in exchange for an artist-in-residence program?

After working through a few concerns — would the staid Judson Manor turn into a party house for college students? Would students be comfortable living among older people? Did they have anything in common? (No, yes and absolutely yes) — the decision was made: Bring on the students.

Judson’s Artist-in-Residence program has transitioned beyond the experiment phase and settled comfortably into the friendship and co-worker phase. The only question now is, why haven’t more places tried it?

A NATURAL FIT
Laura’s apartment is a riot of colors and textures. Sculptures, intricate fabrics, funky furniture and sunlight all compete for attention. At the center is Laura, a spritely woman with a wide smile, close cropped hair and oversized glasses that seem to represent her oversized personality.

The residential experiment at Judson brought not only more music and art into her life, it brought Justine.

“This connection has value because it allows you to maintain a place in the world,” Laura says. 

Welcome to the latest issue from Northeast Ohio Boomer & Beyond!