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Sure, it is okay and used to happen more frequently than now. Now that things have opened up more, people are more willing to socialize. However, mostly people call or text if they need something or want to chat.
We purposely keep the house straightened up so it would not be a big mess to invite them in for a chat. My wife likes to talk more than me so she would really like to talk with them.
I will generally open the door for a neighbor or friend if they happen to drop by but I just so rarely have anyone "drop by." The exception was when I was moving in and several neighbors did come by, but it was obvious I was in the throes of moving and honestly, I appreciated their gesture and the few minutes of a break.
If one of my friends was on my doorstep I for SURE would answer the door because it would be so out of character for any of them I'd figure they really, really, really needed to come by for whatever reason - so I'm here.
The only 1 who I had an issue with was a next door neighbor who I hired one autumn season to take care of leaf blowing my yard's leaves to the street. Instead of clearing my yard twice, a month apart, which is what usually is done and all that is needed, he liked to clear leaves at his house and my house at least weekly, so the leaves didn't pile up. He would, every time, ring my doorbell or knock and let me know he was clearing the leaves. I kept telling him he didn't need to do that, and I was working and on conference calls. He was hard-of-hearing and stubborn. I only used him for that one season as he complained he wanted more money and I was already paying him more than I'd need to pay someone else. He and his wife eventually moved to a new house to be close to the grandkids.
Other than that, no. My friends and I never drop in.
While I am not a fan of regular drop-ins (if sporadic, I can actually rather enjoy them), I wouldn't cause a scene over them either. But that's me.
Note, this was pre-pandemic. During the pandemic where so many were/are working from home, this point only hits home even more. Yes, you may be "home" more, but (and apart from health concerns) your home is your office and I doubt that folks would just pop by the actual office unannounced/uninvited.
Do you have any and, if so, do you open the door and let them in when they just appear unbidden and unannounced?
We didn't open the door. They just hollered and came in! Those were the old days when we were young and clueless about boundaries. The guys were each taking their first professional jobs and we educated women were at home with our first children.
We lived across the street from each other and shared similar interests. Fun days. Different times, different needs.
Last year we drove to Utah to help them celebrate their Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary.
Now we have front door and back door friends.
We do have long-time friends who will call ahead and invite themselves. If we have time we're always glad to see them. If we don't have a well-established bond please don't call and invite yourself because you need a place to eat or stay while you are doing something else. Nope.
And please, Friends, don't come and plan to be entertained without an agreement ahead of time.
My friends and I all seem to have a similar problem. We want to hang out with one another, but we all feel like other people are busy or...something...don't want to be bothered. So none of us reach out. If it were not for listed events that we sign up to attend through interest groups that we belong to, most of us would have little or no social life, I think.
I really wish that more of my friends would visit me. But when I think about inviting them, for some reason, I think, "meh, they wouldn't be interested or they are busy and I don't want to bother them."
I think that my preference, though, if a friend wanted to get together, would be for them to text me before they head over. Just to confirm that I am home and not working and able to hang out.
I was thinking about this yesterday. My mom used to take me out for drives, as a child, and she would stop in unannounced, with me, to visit her friends. They would chat and I would have absolutely nothing to do - would usually just go out in their back yards.
I don't like friends or family showing up unannounced. I feel my home is my sacred space, so like another person, I really don't like people inside unless I am hosting a well-planned-out party (rare) or a little get-together (more frequent).
Family does call and say: "We are going to the beach and wanted to stop by - are you up for it??" - and I then scramble to put stuff away because I am very messy in my process (not dirty, just messy) and I like a neat house when company comes.
That can be the definition of retirement for a good number of seniors. Not just the effect of the Covid pandemic, but how being retired can be for a good number of seniors. And those retirees who are single living alone...... but apparently some retired senior married people too.
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