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SHOULD WE RETIRE RETIREMENT?
boblonsberry.com ^ | 06/10/15 | Bob Lonsberry

Posted on 06/10/2015 7:37:19 AM PDT by shortstop

I’m not sure retirement is a good thing.

Not the way it’s done now.

The way it’s done now, it seems to me that we’re marginalizing our most skilled workers, fostering idlers and turning old age into a near useless stage of life.

It used to be that people didn’t retire. They worked til they died. And if they couldn’t work, hopefully their family or their church took care of them.

But everyone who was physically and mentally able to do some useful task did so.

The difficulty arose when people became what used to be called senile, or when they became so physically enfeebled that they couldn’t provide for themselves – and they didn’t have family, clan, tribe or church to look after them.

That’s when Social Security came about.

Laying aside its socialist assumptions, Social Security was envisioned as a pension system for those who were at the tail end of their lives. It was a pittance to help maintain those who couldn’t maintain themselves.

It was just assumed that anyone who could still work would still work. In that innocent day the notion that anyone would willfully choose to be idle, to live off the sweat of someone else’s brow, was shameful.

Retirement, as little as 50 years ago, was the time in life when old age and its limitations prohibited people from supporting themselves. It was almost always a fairly short time, because people that stricken by age typically don’t have much life left.

But that was then and this is now.

Now, people live longer and think different.

Now, retirement is seen as the “vacation” of life. People go into retirement long before they are physically or mentally incapacitated and, typically, with many years of potentially fruitful life still ahead of them.

This has come about by an advancing life expectancy, the former abundance of generous pensions, and a sense of entitlement to a comfortable retirement and the Social Security check that helps make it possible.

And our work ethic has changed. The connection between self-support and self-respect has – with unfortunate and tragic consequences for society – been broken in our country. Increasingly, a spirit of “I’m going to get what I can, it’s owed to me” has crept into our national values.

Rather, a spirit of personal greed and covetousness has replaced the value of self-reliance and hard work. This is not true for all, of course, but in varying degree it has become true for many, maybe even for most.

So we retire. Sometimes at 62. Or 63 or 65. Typically, Americans retire in their early 60s.

And, typically, Americans in their early 60s have another 20 years of life ahead of them.

And yet they have sidelined themselves. At a stage of life and their careers when their knowledge and experience are at their best, they lay work aside.

Which is a terrible waste.

Yes, people in their 20s will work for less. But people in their 60s have a wealth of ability built up over decades that is invaluable. They have learned lessons through success and failure that put them head and shoulders above younger workers.

But they retire. And then to fill their time many of them volunteer in helpful but generally menial tasks. They are helping hands, no doubt, but typically their skill sets lay fallow and wasted.

Many make retirement a time of ease and idleness. They do nothing. It seems sometimes that is harder than it sounds, as many of the most idle retirees seem to die fairly soon.

And it is the hardest working, interestingly, who seem to live longer.

I think that is because they have a purpose. They have a reason to get up in the morning. They know they are useful, and being useful is essential to a happy life.

I’m not begrudging someone who has worked a long and successful career a little ease at the end of life, but I am saying that “the end of life” isn’t anywhere as early as our custom of retirement seems to indicate. As a matter of personal fulfillment and happiness, and as a matter of social and economic policy, people who work are better than people who don’t work – and there’s no reason to think that changes when you turn 63.

As our health stays strong, we should consider staying in the workforce. And in meaningful jobs. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a Wal-Mart greeter, but the vast majority of elderly workers are capable of far more than smiling and handing out stickers.

Part of the problem is that we dismiss old people. We don’t take them or their abilities and experience seriously. Sometimes the most capable person in a company is the old guy they’re eager to push into retirement. Sometimes the arrogance of youth wins out over the ability of age and we suffer as a result.

So I think we should change our thinking.

Retirement shouldn’t be an automatic. There are no automatic milestones of age, and there should be no automatic milestones of the workplace.

People shouldn’t automatically assume they must retire, and society shouldn’t automatically assume that they must either. Much joy, prosperity and productivity can be found by staying in the workplace, instead of shuffling off to Florida, and more people should consider the option.


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: retirement; seniors; socialsecurity
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To: shortstop
I'm 62 and it's time to do something else. That does not necessarily mean retire, but "doing something else" has a fairly high threshold if it entails competing for an entry-level position in another field at age 62. Best of luck with that.

That doesn't mean not to prepare. The fact that I can contemplate retirement with home and car paid off and enough savings to last (if my loving government keeps its grubby hands off it), confers a feeling of freedom that's worth working for. I evangelize this to my younger colleagues until they're tired of hearing it, but if somebody hadn't done that for me thirty years ago I'd be as stuck as a lot of my fellow Americans appear to be.

But it really is time to do something else. The flip side of all the experience I've gathered in a field in which it's still worth something (but steadily less) means that I've done it enough to be thoroughly burnt out on quite a bit of it. As my retirement mentor told me, when that becomes all of it, it's time to go. But you have to retire TO something, not FROM something, or you end up dead of boredom and senescence in five years. No thanks.

41 posted on 06/10/2015 8:26:07 AM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: SeekAndFind
We have the lowest labor participation rates in 38 years for those 16 to 65. The percentage of those over 65 working has increased, which is more a function of economic necessity than anything else.

Most Americans still stop working by the time they hit 65. But about 18.5 percent of Americans age 65 and over were working in 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's a nearly 8 percentage point increase from a low in 1985, when just 10.8 percent of Americans over age 65 were still at work.

A new GAO analysis finds that among households with members aged 55 or older, nearly 29 percent have neither retirement savings nor a traditional pension plan. Even among those who do have retirement savings, their nest eggs are small. The agency found the median amount of those savings is about $104,000 for households with members between 55 and 64 years old and $148,000 for households with members 65 to 74 years old. That's equivalent to an inflation-protected annuity of $310 and $649 per month, respectively, according to the GAO.

While some may consider the numbers working over 65 to be a good thing, it does have an impact on younger workers who will find it more difficult to find jobs and promotions. There are fewer native born Americans working now than in 2000 despite an increase in the working age population of 25.6 million. And add in the impact of automation and you have some real problems, economically and culturally.


42 posted on 06/10/2015 8:28:17 AM PDT by kabar
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To: shortstop

What proportion of the younger generation is prepared to be productive?

Damned few.

Old productive people have to work until they die to fund the young unemployable tattooed “activists”.


43 posted on 06/10/2015 8:30:02 AM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Live off the fat of anyone who is stupid enough to work. It's the American Way.)
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To: Gamecock
(There are ways to rack up frequent flyer miles and hotel points without traveling. That’s my plan.)

Care to share?
44 posted on 06/10/2015 8:32:17 AM PDT by notdownwidems (Washington DC has become the enemy of free people everywhere)
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To: rigelkentaurus

You are so SO right. Feeling sorry for someone who just wants to cut his lawn, or admiring someone who wants to sail around the world, it all boils down to:

IT’S THEIR BUSINESS and may they enjoy their choices.


45 posted on 06/10/2015 8:32:58 AM PDT by Maris Crane
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To: shortstop

I would LOVE to ‘retire’ to a 3, 10-hour day work week

Keep earning, give someone else a chance to work on some of the other 3 days, 4 day weekend EVERY SINGLE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!


46 posted on 06/10/2015 8:33:39 AM PDT by Mr. K (Palin/Cruz - to defeat HilLIARy/Warren)
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To: kabar

RE: Number of working-age natives

What age group would that be? I hope they are not including the eligible for social security crowd or the teenagers ( most of them are in school ).


47 posted on 06/10/2015 8:37:50 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: shortstop

turning old age into a near useless stage of life.

Speak for yourself Lonsberry!

I have tons of things I can do if retired.
I volunteer at my church teaching children.
I volunteer with a veterans group.
I am interested in getting into couch youth softball.
We are bikers. We love to travel and see people and places through out our Nation..
I have plenty to do thank so much. You want to work for someone else until you are 90 go for it. Leave me out........


48 posted on 06/10/2015 8:46:35 AM PDT by 48th SPS Crusader (I am an American. Not a Republican or a Democrat)
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To: shortstop

A person who see themselves as the work they do will have a difficult time in retirement.

Personally, work for me was a way to pay the bills, I always had outside interest. When I retired I just spent more time on those things that interest me.

I miss the paycheck but we did plan on our retirement and as it stands, we could live on our social security but fortunately do not have to.


49 posted on 06/10/2015 8:48:28 AM PDT by CIB-173RDABN (I do not doubt that our climate changes. I only doubt that anything man does has any effect.)
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To: shortstop

Social security must be getting close to insolvency. Expect more articles on “why you shouldn’t retire.”

USSAToday had a lead story today on the 15% of medicare recipients who expend 50% of medicare funds. All that was missing was the line about “useless eaters.”


50 posted on 06/10/2015 8:50:31 AM PDT by RKBA Democrat ( The ballot is a suggestion box for slaves and fools.)
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To: shortstop

It seems half the gov’t workers I run into are retired, retired on the job.


51 posted on 06/10/2015 8:52:33 AM PDT by wrench
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To: shortstop
To each his own. My wife and I both retired from our "careers" at 62, started drawing Social Security and haven't had a moment free to rock on the front porch since.

We moved from the big city in Arizona to the country in Florida and decided to start a whole new lifestyle. We raise Angus beef cattle on thirty acres. Our days are long and filled with never-ending chores, projects and thing after another. Never a dull moment or time to sit back and rest on our laurels. We've learned to raise the cows, build and repair fences, keep our tractor and other farm implements working, built a house, two barns, a cattle management set-up in the barnyard, planted a large garden and fruit trees, got some chickens and a horse and never looked back.

We are having the time of our lives and wished we had done this sooner. Retirement for us is not traveling, golf and going to the beach. It is hard work and being productive. It keeps you young.

I have just one complaint about retirement. You never get a day off. :-)

52 posted on 06/10/2015 8:52:56 AM PDT by HotHunt
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To: Balata
That's exactly right......I've thought about this too. Just go do what you might love to do....and even more than just one place ....make yourself you're own “temporary” service. On call when available...and you can decline work any time as well if it interferes with what you otherwise have planned.
53 posted on 06/10/2015 8:53:02 AM PDT by caww
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To: shortstop

The public union defined benefit recipients are now the new elite. Retired at 50 or 55, close to 80% of salary, medical paid for.


54 posted on 06/10/2015 8:54:20 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: shortstop

I’m taking my SS at age 62 and still working.

With my Medical Condition (Leukemia) and the fact that I am draining my Retirement Savings dry just to keep our heads above water, I had to take it as soon as I could.

The SS will cover about 3/4 of my Healthcare Premium. That will probably change to 2/3 of my Healthcare Premium once the 20% expected Premium Increase kicks in January 2016.

That Shining City upon a Hill turned out to be Baltimore and the Wizard of Oz is a Marxist Community Rabble Rouser.


55 posted on 06/10/2015 8:59:25 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Hillary, because it's time for a POTUS without a SCROTUS...)
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To: Trapped Behind Enemy Lines

If I live long enough, I would want “end of first career” to be “beginning of second career.” Until and unless I get so decrepit even that is not possible.

Contracting could also be a good way to dip back into the workforce after a conventional employment career, without expectations of indefinitely long engagement on either side.


56 posted on 06/10/2015 9:05:06 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: 1Old Pro

And bored silly so they get to do lots of “liberal” things.


57 posted on 06/10/2015 9:06:01 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: HotHunt

Based on all of that. I would not conclude that you are “retired”.

Agriculture and cattle raising is a career and it is also very hard work.

From what you wrote, it doesn’t like retirement all to me. In addition you are a business owner. Which is also a lot of hard work.


58 posted on 06/10/2015 9:08:49 AM PDT by Trapped Behind Enemy Lines
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To: Balata
Working Retirement - is now what it's all about. Go from a job to doing something you love to do.

Agreed. IMHO, volunteering is the best way to do that.

59 posted on 06/10/2015 9:12:08 AM PDT by upchuck (Downsizing and decentralizing government is something the Republican establishment just wonÂ’t allow)
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To: 1Old Pro
The public union defined benefit recipients are now the new elite. Retired at 50 or 55, close to 80% of salary, medical paid for.

------------------------

Mine is nowhere near that. Actually the Calculation is 1.5%xYOSxFAC (Based on Highest 5 years income)

So if my FAC was 50k it would be .015 x 30 x 50k That would come out to 22,500/12 =1875 per month. Then subtract a 20% mandatory Insurance copay at approx. 300 dollars right now. It is a Medicare hybrid for Public Employees. Medicare being the Primary.

At any rate it is no where near 80% you claim.

60 posted on 06/10/2015 9:12:59 AM PDT by VRWCarea51 (The original 1998 version)
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