I had a conversation yesterday with someone younger than me. He's a successful, professional fundraiser at the peak of his career.We talked about our plans for the coming year and beyond. I'm starting a new business (a social enterprise publisher) and he's got the kind of heavy workload that people with a great reputation in their field always collect.
What bothered me was his announcement that he intended to retire somewhere between the ages of 50 and 55. He must be younger than I thought!
I was 53 on Friday and so am in the middle of his 'retirement zone.' When he is my age, he wants to stop working. I on the other hand am still trying to work out what I want to really do when I grow up!
Retirement as our parents knew it is not an option for many any more and thank goodness for that. The idea of deciding one day to stop working, stop earning and most of all, stop contributing to the world seems ghastly to me.
Today I'm off to meet author Ronald Blythe for lunch. He's best known for his book 'Akenfield', published more than 30yrs ago. He's still writing now, at the age of 85. Like me, he has not time for retirement, more the gradual change of lifestyle from' full on/flat out' to something more relaxed and perhaps introspective.
To me, retirement is a rude word . . . . !
2 comments:
Hi Robert,
Excellent post. Thanks for your insight. I believe the key to a successful life and therefore a successful retirement is to remain engaged and do what you love. Some of us should never retire. Especially if we love what we do.
Hi Robert.
I think it depends very much on what you consider retirement to be.
For many people, retiring from the job they do for a living does not mean the same as retiring from their "life's work", as some people put it.
Did the person you spoke to mean that he wanted to retire from work/society altogether at 50-55, or just that he wanted to stop doing his day job?
You refer to "The idea of deciding one day to stop working, stop earning a(...) stop contributing to the world".
For some people, these might actually be three different things, and it's important to recognise that.
I'm enjoying your blog, by the way.
Ben
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