Great thoughts from everyone! Chatty, I think you nailed it! I actually am beginning to believe as our population ages, it tends to migrate, to areas we've come to know as Retirement Meccas. I know myself, when in certain areas of Florida and the coast, and the Southwest, older folks are definitely more visible.

It was the lack of visuals for me, in the greater Atlanta area, of my peer age group, that really had me pondering their whereabouts. In my community, there is a mere handful of people age 50-60. I came to realize if I was age 25-35 I'd be literally surrounded by my peers, when out and about. This prompted me to wonder about other areas of the country, areas not necessarily retiree flush, ones not generally associated with the over 50 crowd.

I have spoken to other women my age and many say they don't like battling the traffic and the crowds, in this area. One told me she only does her grocery shopping on Wednesday mornings. It has been her experience that markets are the least active on this day, during the early hours, where she lives. One woman told me she feels uncomfortable when out, finding people too loud and boisterous, and she feels somehow vulnerable, due to her age.

This entire discussion has also I believe given me a bit of self-enlightenment...I honestly think over the last couple of years, my conscious notice of a lack of my age peers about me, is significant. I think possibly a great many older people, those not already living in Silvered areas of the country, may begin to feel a bit out-numbered, so to speak. They may begin to feel the lack of folks their own age, people with whom they have much in common. This realization may prompt folks to begin thinking re-location to areas wherein their peers have congregated.

History tells us immigrants to this country tended to head straight for settlements wherein their own ethnic groups were living. The new arrivals needed areas wherein the residents spoke their language shared their customs, and with whom they felt generally compatible. Possibly, senior migration follows this same line of reasoning.

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