How would you imagine William Shakespeare's life to be after he no longer wrote plays?
Kenneth Branagh did just that -- he imagined and wrote a movie about Shakespeare's life post-retirement, and in his version, life was hell. By day he gardens, by night he has to listen to family resentful about his retirement. I need to see this movie
The writer of the source article then explains: Marcus Tullius Cicero was against the idea of retirement. He wrote an essay "Cato the Elder on Aging" and he believed the way to stay young was a purposeful life. He wrote "I am in my 84th year, yet, as you see, old age has not unnerved or shattered me."
For most of history, people had no choice but to work until they died. By the end of the 19th century, it was possible for some people to spend their latter years in retirement. In 1883 Germany began to pay pensions to all over age 65 -- and that became the age of retirement. In 1935, President Roosevelt started the U.S. Social Security program, when half of our seniors lived in poverty.
Today, the author, Amanda Foreman, thinks that leisurely retirement may be ending. For many simply want to change their occupations at retirement, driven by personal preferences to work or finances.
Examples:
President George W. Bush is a painter.
Gene Hackman, actor, is a novelist.
Bill Gates from Microsoft is off to save the planet.
QUESTION: What do you think? Do today's retirees seriously need to work longer? We do have longer life expectancies due to medical advances, living conditions, etc.
Wendy, if God-willing, will live 35 years in retirement -- assuming I retired at 55 (and I did) and live to age 90 (my mother is 93 today). That's a lifetime for some people! Can we really live 35 years without employment -- both financially and also about living a fulfilled lifestyle.
-----
Source: Wall Street Journal, "The Pleasures and Pains of Retirement" by Amanda Foreman
As your "Work in Retirement" coach at Retirement-Online, of course, I'm going to comment on this subject. I'm still working and I'm so engaged in what I do, I feel my retirement years will turn out to be the best chapter of my life.
People make the decision to work in retirement for many different reasons. However, no matter what the reason, it is important that you approach finding an opportunity based on what you want to do versus pursuing want ads and hoping for the best.
My involvement as a coach reveals the majority of people enjoying their work in retirement are doing things much different than the work they did before.
It bothers me greatly to see someone compromise their life in retirement by landing in a job they don't really like just to earn some extra money.
My advice is to figure out something you would love to do and believe there will be a way to start doing it. For no matter what your dream situation is, chances are there are people out there doing that. What is better than making money doing something you love?
Focus on finding people doing what you want to do and seek their advice. They made their transition to it somehow and are in the best position to advise you how to make a similar transition.
I'm hoping those of you reading this will take this approach and share your experience with us so we can cheer you on and learn from your experience.
Living a long life by: Sherry/ NC
Money is security. You will have money if you respect it and yes we need it to live a long life; therefore if you are at retirement age that is different ages for folks, and you don't have enough money saved to retire and feel secure then you need to keep on working.
I hope you feel a purpose with your profession!
For example: my son was initially working for a major American company right out of college. The company closed this branch and laid off 400 employees and while he was out of work he told me he didn't think he wanted to sat in front of a computer the rest of his working years so he went back to school on grants and studied nursing! I was so proud of him and now he works for specialty doctors and says he loves his job and he found his purpose!!