Thirteen guys with graying hair, each seemingly with their own newspaper and coffee, pushed together two tables in the otherwise empty Jackson Hole Senior Center cafeteria on a Thursday fall morning.
Some were lured for a breakfast deal.
“Five dollar Eggs Benedict was hard to find anywhere else here,” one commented to laughter and general consensus.
It was also the first meeting of a new group trying to tackle an issue that’s been more taboo in past generations, but has become more openly talked about in recent years.
Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared an epidemic of loneliness in 2023. The social isolation of the pandemic accelerated an existing trend for all age groups, he told PBS NewsHour.
“We've in fact seen a decrease in participation in community organizations and faith organizations and recreational leagues over several decades,” he said.
Loneliness can also be acute during life transitions, said Frank Fanning, who’s helping organize Jackson’s and Wyoming’s first Men’s Shed. It’s an international association that organizes meetups for mostly hands-on projects.
“You retire, you no longer go into the office or the business. What you start hearing is your wife, if you have one, saying, ‘Why don't you get out of here and do something?’” He said.
Men’s Shed started in Australia in the ‘90s and now boasts about 3,000 chapters. Starting one in Jackson has taken over five years, but a new activities director at the senior center has helped build momentum, along with some volunteers, like Lisa Smith-Batchen.
She grabbed the shoulders of one of her friends around the table.
“He used to travel playing the saxophone. And he's only been looking at the saxophone for the last 20 years. I would love for him to get it out of the case and play it,” she said.
The group has no projects yet. Ideas tossed out at the first meeting included making cabinets, bookcases and fishing lures. There are no rules. Each shed is self-governed.
During lighthearted introductions, Beverly Shore set a purposeful tone. She’s Teton County’s community prevention specialist, working to prevent suicide and substance abuse.
“You all being here and bringing the tables together and sharing your stories, that's Men's Shed. That's really what it's all about,” she told the group.
And she doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff.
“Our number one demographic for suicide is white males and in their mid-60s to 80 years old,” she said.
In Teton County, suicide is on the decline. Shore said now the annual average is three per year. Wyoming, though, remains among the top states for suicides nationwide after spending a few years in the number one spot.
When somebody in the crowd quipped that older Wyoming men are dying more by suicide because of property taxes, Shore held her ground.
“No,” she said. “It's isolation. It's the number of firearms in the state.”
Of course, there are other clubs people can join, like the Elks or Rotary.
What separates Men’s Shed from others?
“Money,” Fanning said. “Elks, you have to pay. You have to pay to join, you have to pay your membership.”
Shore told the group if they need money for a project, they could ask her.
After a few hours of trading teases, this group decided that at first, they’re interested in telling stories to get to know each other.
Denny Becker, 83, offered an example of this history of Jackson Hole.
“Snake River Canyon was considered unrunnable, that it was too dangerous. I was one of the first whitewater outfitters down there. And I couldn’t swim,” he said.
In parting, Fanning encouraged the group to spread the word.
“Bring your friends. Anybody you know.”
“That's the trouble,” someone responded. “I don't have any friends. I was hoping to get a couple here.”
At Men’s Shed, he might. Jackson Hole Men's Shed is set to meet every other Thursday in the same spot at the senior center.
