The Leisure World experience

 The LW experience is kind of difficult to explain.  But we’re going to try.  

One thing about it—it has a sense of organization and coherence to it.  We joke about the 50 pages (or so) of rules, but actually we like them.  And they are fairly designed, by residents, and fairly (not rigidly) enforced.  

We came here for the first time 34 years ago, when Mom and Dad bought a home in Leisure World.  And little has changed, except some really terrific improvements.  

There is a calmness, peacefulness here.  Everybody here waves to each other.  When we’re cycling, cars stop and even if they have the right of way, they wait for us, smiling and waving.  Not in a hurry.  

We live on the golf course.  All day we see old people golfing.  It is perfect exercise for them.  And they are laughing, joking, poking fun, and waving to us as they drive by in their golf cart.  We sit outside for a few hours each day during the winter, spring, and fall just get to “experience” them.  Good energy.

There are clubs galore.  Last year the Leisure World Big Band held practices every week.  We went and danced to big band music every Tuesday morning.  It was delightful.  They loved us.  We avoided them this year due to covid.  We really missed everyone and dancing in the ballroom to music performed by our friends and neighbors.   Maybe next year…

A person can find numerous activities and clubs where they can get to know others, make friends, and sometimes get to learn how to do something that they have never done before—maybe do something that they had never even thought about doing. 

Like for us, we enjoyed playing a basketball game that Sebastian taught us, “Knockout.”  And we learned how to play shuffleboard board with Sean, Soren, Emily, and Sebastian.  We’re going to get some Pickleball paddles and try out this slow tennis-like game that seems to be doable for us “old folks” with all our arthritis and surgery fixed foot, shoulders, and back.  We’ll see, but we’ll have fun trying out something new.

We swim in the middle of the night.  We do this to avoid everybody.  Since we do lap swimming, that’s the only real time we can count on an empty pool.  There are two pools, and the other one is officially the lap swimming pool.  They keep it a little cooler, but the main reason we don’t use it is because there is no shower/changing room except the official locker room which opens later than we want to use it.  The pool we swim at has one bathroom with a shower that’s always open and that makes it so we don’t have to be around other people—safe from covid.

Plus, we love swimming at night.  It is so very zen. And quiet.  Always just the two of us.  When Emily was here she came over with us 2-3 times.  She liked it too.  When it’s cold there is a mist in the pool that makes it all the more fun.  We feel like we are swimming in a lake in Scotland or something.  And once a month the bright full moon lights up our private swimming world. 

We have four different 4-mile walks we take on a pretty regular basis.  We are virtually always by ourselves….again because we take them at night.  Three of these walks are on the paths around the two golf courses.  The other walk winds around several ponds that have bubbling fountains and wild water birds sleeping or fishing at night. All these walks are beautiful, peaceful, quiet, and safe.  We love the full moon, and sometimes get to see glorious sunrises too.  It’s magical.

During the mornings and afternoons just sitting in the sunshine on our patio and the dozens of vultures sitting in our trees, watching golfers, and reading or working on our hobbies is a delight.  We enjoy the beauty of our flower gardens, the expanse of the green fairway, and the ancient eucalyptus trees that sway with a light breeze.  It is heavenly living here together and experiencing Leisure World.