Posted on 06/03/2024 10:39:05 PM PDT by Cronos
We are living through what is being called the silver tsunami. According to Legal Jobs, “about 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day, and the entire generation is expected to reach retirement age by 2030.” While many people spend their working years aiming to eventually retire, there are reasons why complete retirement should not be a primary goal.
For my book, Leading with Wisdom: Sage Advice from 100 Experts, I interviewed more than 100 top authorities about leadership and life. A recurring theme during these conversations was the idea that complete and total retirement should not be anyone’s end goal.
1. Retirement is an antiquated term. The Social Security Act was passed in 1935, establishing 65 as the official retirement age. This was set at a time when the average life expectancy was about 61 years old for men and 65 for women. Life expectancy for men is around 74 and for women it is about 80. Based on his research, MIT Age Lab Director Joseph Coughlin says that retiring at age 65 gives us about another 8,000 days—basically 21 years—to figure out what to do with our lives.
2. Midlife Is A New Life Phase.
3. Connection Is Protection.
For most people, workplaces are where they get their social interaction
..What Should You Do?
Don’t retire from life. Reframe aging Find new ways to stay relevant and engaged.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
It amazes me how many Freepers have no idea how to hunt and fish. I spent my whole life in the outdoors and plan to spend even more time there, when I retire.
That phrase is used most commonly by people who have ‘made it’ and now are bragging about how great their ‘lifestyle values’ are...
I had a friend like that - he also ranted about how he was more than happy to pay higher taxes. This was a common theme among multimillionaire in the 90’s... Anyhow I suggested he send the Treasury Department a check every month or at least drop his expensive CPA for a more modest H&R Block type... These same folks that brag on that level alo have their CPA’s find every possible way to not pay a dime more than they have to. Don’t fall for that ‘no one wishes they had spent more time in the office... crap. Men support their families and men who support them well are happier.
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I’ll be 73 this month and I retire in December at 73 and a half.
I don’t have wife at this point, so….senior discount day at Harris Teeter - like shooting fish in a barrel.
Or truck drivers... or lots of blue collar jobs. This piece is about white liberal 'elites' looking down on people k who made their cushy liberal lifestyles possible.
if you don’t mind, could you give more information?
I’m in my mid 40s, but thanks to being overly influenced by the FIRE (financial independence retire early) movement and booming stock markets 2004-2007, I can retire now, but I’d be bored.
How did you reinvent yourself? did you study something else? follow a passion? Make a new passion?
the theme of the article seems to be reinventing oneself - as SaxxonWoods brought up, which is why I’d find his/her story interesting
What about less physical work?
“One can retire but still find purpose in life besides sitting around trolling the internet.”
That’s key
Bull dump. I’m retired for 9 years now. Busier than ever keeping up the place. As far as social life goes, it’s much better than when I worked with a bunch of phony wannabe professionals.
I'm turning 66 and work for a major defense contractor.
I work from an office I set up in my home - 4 days/week, ten hours/day.
They pay me a nice salary and I'm very frugal.
I like what I do, and they like me doing it.
I have a ton of vacation time, but I'm a home-body - my only outlet is a 21 foot camping trailer we tow into state parks and chill for a few days at a time.
I will retire when God makes it apparent it's time to ride off into the sunset, (I ultimatley work for Him).
Being retired means doing whatever the hell I want. My oldest brother taught me well, and now, every day is Saturday. I have downloaded hundreds of books, and have even more physical books, and now I have the time to read them. I can read fast, or take my time. I can study stoicism, or reach for the stars with Robert Heinlein, Arthur c. Clarke, Asimov. I can read the amazing Will Durant histories. I can walk, run, bicycle and swim when I want to, instead of shoving it into a crowded schedule. I can drive across the fruited plain for months on end, or remain near home and sleep in. I can volunteer, or not.
As Jackie Gleason said, the world is my oyster.
I spent a lifetime helping, teaching,and inspiring thousands, and those thousands will go on to help and inspire millions, and all of it will echo through eternity. I received and learned much more, and will continue because I was lucky enough to have been born in the greatest nation on God’s green Earth.
I have to keep working my business because bastard son in law left my daughter for his trashie slut. Two young kids and daughter building her business in the middle of this. My amazing husband is stepping in where the “dad’ does not…so pray for us, but we are chugging along and will succeed.
21 years ago I retired, got married and had a kid.
My wife is 15 years younger than me and loved her job.
My daughter kept me busy.
I tripled the size of my house doing most of the work myself.
That gave us enough equity to buy horse property because my daughter loves horses.
I’m outside all day long building things and maintenance.
I started 3D printing over 10 years ago and love it.
Some people make a living with 3D printing.
I was an aerospace and tool designer.
When I turned 62, I got an extra $1,000 a month for my daughter from Social Security.
We joke that my wife can’t kick me out because she would owe spousal support.
My wife still loves her job.
My wife and daughter are like best friends, they go everywhere together.
Now that I’m 73 I’m in better shape than when I was 50.
Good luck, and keep the faith. As far as the bastard goes, you know it’s usually true ... “What goes around comes around”. He’ll probably never get anywhere in life.
“For me, retirement is a financial number not an age number.”
I’m 63, have Veterans health insurance and enough money in my retirement account to live modestly by a beach somewhere. Unfortunately, my lovely wife believes we should live in a million dollar home by the ocean and told me I cannot retire. I don’t think she understands that in my job, I make a salary and if we want to live according to her vision, she is the one who needs to bring in that bacon. Owning her own business, she has the ability.
5. roof to sleep under
“Now 64 and not slowing down, except for some excess fat. Not even remotely ready for retirement, don’t feel old, but notice that many people my age look old and dying. Maybe genetics.”
ME to a “T.” I’m 67 still working a somewhat physical + mental job, and playing music on the weekends as the drummer. I am STUNNED how old people my age are. I’m regularly confused with 40-ish year olds. I serve some retirement communities and some of these ladies look like my mom’s age, and they’re often WELL younger than me.
I”m still married, happily, amazingly, joyfully, passionately, to Marie Antoinette after all these years, and she’s almost 10 years my junior, which is just right. And she’s STUNNING. Still the hottest babe in the room almost everywhere we go.
I’m blessed that I’m not in the dating game!!
If I WERE in the dating game, I’d be yet another older guy looking at younger women. In fact my best friend, in our band, is female, and less than half my age, but an older soul, I guess. She is WAY advanced for her years. We’re such good friends, it’s like having a second wife. I’d have to meet someone like her if I were dating. But that’s like finding a unicorn.
“5. roof to sleep under”. I need a NEW roof to sleep under. I’m 61 and won’t retire until the cost of living goes down!
“It amazes me how many Freepers have no idea how to hunt and fish.”
For pleasure or survival? I wish I knew how to fish for survival. But I look out my window and see people fishing in the river — because they want to. It looks SO BORING. Still, I wish I knew all the ins and outs, “just in case”.
Hunting. I would do it if I had to, to survive. But the thought of killing animals for fun is something I don’t get. My family always has hunted, and everyone I knew when I lived in Alaska did, too. Still ... not for me.
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