ROMEO? Enticing, no? Well it’s not quite as sexy as it reads, because it is an acronym: Retired Old Men Eating Out.

Here’s the scoop. Men, it has been observed, don’t make friends to the extent that women do. And after a lifetime of work many a retired man finds himself lonesome for male companionship. That’s what the ROMEOs are all about.

So if you are over 60, retired or semi-retired, and want to meet men in a similar situation, become a ROMEO. Commit yourself to a once-a-month lunch with a group of fellows. For the price of lunch you’ll meet men of greatly varied, and ever so interesting, backgrounds. You may know some of them; you may know most of them; but whatever the case, you’ll have a stimulating time breaking bread with them and discussing who knows what?

How to begin? Just let Walter Marshall know of your interest in becoming a ROMEO. Call him at 310.377.6536 or send him an e-mail at marshallf@cox.net. He’ll do the rest.

Oh, by the way, the ROMEOs don’t have to be restricted to Temple Beth El members, nor do they have to all be Jewish. So if you’re interested, invite a neighbor or a friend to join with you. There are no dues, just the opportunity to meet and eat regularly with a group of like-minded fellows seeking to fill an empty space in their lives.

If you’re older than 60, retired or semi-retired, the TBE ROMEOs is meant for you. We’re a group of men of a certain age and life experience who meet monthly for lunch, for vigorous discussion, but mostly out of the desire for male friendship. (If you haven’t noticed, our ladies have spun wonderful webs of friendship among themselves over the years. Our time has come.) From time to time, we also have a “program”—a speaker of interest or a video for fun.