Glen Sears returned to his hometown of Honolulu seven years ago to retire, but stayed in the 35 th floor apartment with his "perfect wife of 58 years" and he did not meet many people, many of his old friends either moved to the mainland or died. The 83-year-
The former professor of civil engineering was boring and lonely.
He then read an international project called the men's shed.
It's kind of like an adult Scout, a place where men can learn new skills and get involved in community projects together: build park benches, make toys for children's hospitals, or volunteer at the food drive center.
In 2015, he began forming a team in Honolulu to advertise on local community centers and Craigslist.
A friend provided him with an empty warehouse.
If he could have a 28-
Tons of concrete piles.
Sixty volunteers showed up with tools and hammers.
Now, they use the space to repair legs canoes, provide training in electrical equipment, and repair abandoned bicycles.
Sears has a lot of new friends and new missions: Another two men's sheds in Oahu and hopes to start more work on other islands.
"People are lonely and they are looking for something to do and make friends and that's exactly what it provides," Sears said . ".
The men's shed began in Australia in 1995 and is now expanding in the United States, with groups in nine states.
Barry Golding said that the goal of this project is to give men, usually men of retirement age, a place to go, something to do and someone to chat, men's shack movement: the company of men.
Golding said: "The idea, named after the backyard space where many men keep their workspace and tools, came after a public health conference on male health.
Charlotte says a big problem for men is social isolation, which affects physical and mental health, especially after retirement.
Ye, chief medical officer of Yeh p
"For men, they often identify with their jobs and when they retire, they think they will keep the same friends they have in the workplace, but they found that they no longer had the same interest. "
"They then rely on their spouse to build a network, but they may not have a spouse or may not have a spouse.
(That is to say, not all people automatically make friends with their spouse's friends.
) Loneliness is not just a state of feeling disconnected.
More and more researchers believe that loneliness has an impact not only on mental health, but also on physical health. being.
According to the 32% metadata, the probability of premature death of people who feel lonely and socially isolated is as high as 2015analysis.
A 2017 study published in Lancet Public Health surveyed 466,901 British men and women and found that loneliness was associated with a 58% increase in male death risk, compared with a 34% increase in female death risk.
Feeling isolated from society
Little contact with others
The authors say that loneliness has a stronger connection with death than death, and loneliness is more of an emotional state of separation.
The struggle against loneliness is a global problem.
The UK has recently appointed a government position to address the problem. in the United States, Vivek H, a former surgeon.
Murthy told The Washington Post last year that he believes loneliness is at a "popular" level.
The Men's Sheds movement has more than 1,000 groups around the world.
Organizers say each group provides a gathering space for men, mainly of retirement age, to chat, but the main goal is to build connections and community awareness.
Lindsay Oates, president of the Australian Victorian Men's Sheds Association, said the motto was "shoulder to shoulder ".
"When men do something side by side, whether sitting in a bar or doing a project, they feel more comfortable talking," he said . " Deborah Tanin, a professor of linguistics at Georgetown, explored something in the study of gender differences in communication, and he also wrote a book on the subject, "You just don't understand.
"Here you come in and everyone knows you and you can do a project or have a tea and chat and it's all good," Oates said . ".
Each group has its own space, time and membership fees.
(One shed costs $20 a year and the other is $85.
) No one is required to attend the event.
Shed organizers in the United States say it is perfectly OK to appear in chat, tea or coffee, and pool games, and many members do so, Australia and the United Kingdom
In Australia, the government has helped fund sheds through small grants, but some have done tasks such as cutting firewood for the elderly through barbecues, selling their work at the show, and taking personal orders to produce ukuleles, in one case, make a bow
Tie display boxes in local shops.
The cottage of Regg flamingan is hidden in the underground parking lot in the center of Melbourne City, making "wiggle ang bags" or reusable grocery bags. The 74-year-
After his wife died, the retired old pilot joined the group and found himself sitting at home alone --a lot.
He will visit his children and seven grandchildren, most of whom live locally, but he does not have a strong group of friends and does not hang out regularly.
He then saw TV commercials on the men's studio show and started learning how to use wooden tools a few days a week and said it had a huge impact on his life.
"I came here and I was talking to people and I felt like I had done something," Flangan said . " He worked on the lathe and created a football
Trophy for friends
"I was nervous at first, but people really welcomed me and now I come at least once a week.
"Members often bring metal-
Or woodworking skills to share with others.
Shed organizers in Australia and the UK say some people just come to chat and play billiards.
75-year-old Joe Holasek, who belongs to a shed near Minneapolis, said he joined in after seeing a leaflet at a local community center.
After retiring from Honeywell at the age of 70, he had time and even had a family and three grandchildren.
"You're retired, you don't want to stop completely, you want to do something with others, it's good to get together and get out of the house," he said . ".
While men's sheds are mostly concentrated on retired men, there are also some who welcome young men and some who include women.
Anthony Bright, 47, said he was rejected by other sheds because he was too young and started the Melbourne shed in 2013.
Although he got married and worked as a nutrition consultant, he did not have a group of friends to hang out with and he liked the idea of creating a community that welcomed all men.
The youngest member of the group is now about 30, he said.
"After I started working, I was here alone for 26 weeks and thought it was a nightmare," Bright said . ".
"Then the man started to show up and we added a cooking project and time for the night and then started.
"He said that Sears in Honolulu is now about 70 members, and these sheds are not just places to attend classes or find something to do.
Many people are lonely and don't know where to find friends, especially after they get off work, he said.
"People are very upset, they sit at home and watch TV and find out that they belong somewhere," he said . ".
"It really saved life. "---
Fallik is a professor at the University of Delaware.