Socially Starved Mom Looking For A Wingwoman

After more than 20 years of marriage, I’m on the prowl again. Nope, I’m not freshly divorced looking for a new mate. But I am dating again. Well, not exactly dating. It just feels that way. I’m in the market for a new wingwoman.

Over the years, I’ve watched my posse of tight-knit high school girlfriends go off to college, launch careers, get married, and start a family — now with hundreds of miles between us.

While I’ve met new friends since I moved to Florida and became a stay-at-home-mom-turned-homeschooler, I’ve watched my social circle shrink like American Idol ratings. The final nail in my social coffin? I jumpstarted my freelance writing career — a mostly solo endeavor.

I didn’t realize my DOA social life needed resuscitation until I looked at our family calendar. My boys’ activities (in red and green) filled every day of next month. Sadly, just one lonely blue entry (my color) appeared — my annual teeth cleaning.

I almost cried into my glass of wine when I realized my social engagements revolved around a vigorous flossing.

What’s a socially starved woman to do when she wants to make new friends? She takes an adult approach and plans the hell out of it. (You can sense the spontaneous fun erupting already in the following four-step plan.)

<strong>Step 1:</strong> Search for the right opportunity.

I couldn’t just post a Tinder profile stating, “Recovering stay-at-home mom seeks adult companionship to grab drinks and engage in conversations that stimulate new brain cell growth after years of mind-numbing, kids-only nag-fests about chores and homework.”

Should I join a club? Volunteer? Hang out on a street corner holding a sign that says, “Will work for friends”?

With some research, I found a group meeting up to play bunco, a fun group dice game. With the promise of appetizers and cocktails, I could make this work.

With my big blue marker, I put “MOM’S NIGHT OUT” on our family calendar, written a little too desperately in 32-point ALL CAPS.