I have read the original post many times ... just to be sure I understand what the writer is talking about -- even if the title may be too wide to encompass what it means. And so to me the third sentence clears any doubt: "But this is the first time in my eight decades that I feel lonely. I would love to share feelings, experiences, etc. with other like minded folks, but no one in my periphery shares my joy at looking forward to the transition."

Now loneliness is problem at Any age, and many believe it's most widespread among the teens to early twenties. But it's the second highest among we-the-old. And I'd think that especially so after one is done with what we had planned for after taking retirement. So it's in this post-post retirement stage which sees the Big Closure, staring unblinkingly in your face. This is what makes this phase of life SO pressingly important to find a way out of the Loneliness that one feels having no one to talk about how to make this last phase spent most meaningfully so you don't feel you wasted This Last Chance.

I've tried to understand what makes people Not Connect when they actually Want to Connect. Loneliness is compared to physical hunger; our physical markers of health plunge when we are lonely. A test was done by making socially-connected people hypnotized to feel lonely, resulting in HBP and other symptoms in a recent New York Times article.

So WHY are people so averse to Connect?
It seems deep down they feel As If everyone will find out that they have No Friends, a finding rarely written about but I have researched this subject for a few years now and only four places out of hundred plus article I have read point to this reason. Yes, I read/listen about this issue a lot.

But why the old-like-us who have nothing to lose are still scared of this phantom fear?
In the two recent seniors meetup groups I belong to I see this writ-large: people sign up (with photos) but 4 of 5 don't show up, nor bother to tell why.

Yet the 'hunger' is too strong to keep me in check. I'm going to keep trying.
(BTW, Aristotle didn't say for no reason: Life without a friend is not worth-living) And Socrates died among loving friends.