Serene Karplus, Nederland.  As we settle into our midlife years, we recognize that many of our contacts with mountain people in our age range are often business transactions or brief casual greetings. Busy folks tend to meet friends through work or volunteering and only see them there. Weekends fill up with other pursuits and we don’t get to see or visit with these friends as much as we might like.

We think that in our middle years we will have more time. The kids have grown and moved away. Our careers are established or we have retired early, so we believe we will finally find time for friends. Instead, it means the schools and our jobs no longer provide the hub that draws us together regularly. Maybe we are raising grandkids or caring for an aging parent. Or we are busy at home writing the book or creating the art we’ve planned for decades.

A busy lifestyle does not easily offer opportunities to meet others with similar busy lives. We’d love to get to know more people in our community, but don’t need to take on another project trying to find them. Our schedules prevent us from stopping mid-day for social coffees or lunches. Whether we are happily married or happily single, a common thread is that we seek a variety of friends with interests that match our own.

Our choice to live in these beautiful mountains provides common ground right from the start. We know others are out there hiking or skiing or attending concerts we might enjoy together. How do we reach out to find these people and determine easily whether we share interests?

A group of us got together and decided to take action. We figured the seniors take time out to enjoy lunches together twice a week while midlife folks are somewhere else. Why not invite midlife people to meet once a month at dinners and breakfasts? We could relax for an hour over a catered meal with an after-work crowd on a Friday – and stay for a movie at Backdoor Theater if we are so inclined. On Saturday mornings, we could stoke up on a nutritious breakfast together on our way to activities with like-minded folks heading out to hike/bike/ski, attend festivals, or head off for other fun activities.

We kick off our first Mountain MidLife dinner on Friday, July 17, at the Nederland Community Center, gathering around 5:00 p.m. for dinner served at 5:30 p.m. “Midlife” is self-defined, more by lifestyle than chronological age or a demographic tier, so adults of any age are welcome. We also welcome various dietary preferences, so Chef Kim Culver has designed a meal of salmon, vegan quinoa pilaf, vegetables, and a fruity vegan, gluten-free bakery dessert.

To encourage all to come, we negotiated some deals and offer this “prix fixe” meal at low prices. Dinner for those under age 60 is only $9 – no tax or tip required (cash or check only, please). We found a sponsor so we could offer the dinners to those over age 60 (and their spouses) for a requested contribution of only $5.

We need to know in advance how many we are serving so we can acquire the right amount of food. The sooner you can call us to reserve a spot, the better—but, please, no later than 4:00 p.m. Friday, July 10. Please leave a message at 303-545-2126 with your name, phone number, and how many will join us.

We look forward to meeting our fellow Mountain MidLife friends over dinner – see you there!