Let’s Retire the Word “Retire”
By Jeannette Paladino
In 1935, the year I was born, the Social Security Act was passed providing “old-age benefits” to people who reached 65 years of age and could now retire with a guaranteed income. Age 65 was then the life expectancy. If the lawmakers who created this benefit were around today, would they be surprised!
Now “old” men are living to an average age of 78.7 and women are still hanging in at 81. Yay, I’ve already beat that by a year.
And here’s a little secret: many more people are not retiring and working beyond 65. The very word “retire” is antiquated. What does that term even mean? Who’s to decide who’s old and who’s not? To me, the term “old-age” is a bit of a slap in the face to those of us who are actively engaged in life.
Actively is the key word. I still accept writing assignments to help pay for my playtime pursuits: theater, ballet, symphony and travel. Fortunately, I have the resources to live a comfortable life, but that doesn’t mean I just hang out like a couch potato.
By the way, it’s easy to fall into that trap, if you let other people define who you are. You’re not supposed to run marathons, and travel alone around the world if you feel like it. Who’s the “they” that says you can’t.
We’re not old, we’re perennials, always renewing ourselves. Even if we have more miles on the road behind us then ahead of us, we still have goals in life. We still want to be thin, bowl a 200 game, live to cuddle grandchildren, and take that long-planned cruise.
We’re not too old to learn new tricks, either. Back in 2009 a friend casually mentioned she had taken a blogging course. That intrigued me, so I signed up. After 12 lessons I had learned how to set up a blogging platform and to work “under the hood” of my blog. I graduated with my blog/website Write Speak Sell.
That experience opened the door to a whole new world of social media and blogging. I took courses and studied to become proficient in this new online world. What started out as somewhat of a lark eventually turned into a business.
Now my goal is to become a Life Master in bridge. I started playing bridge back in in 1970, then I married, and my husband didn’t play cards. I was working full time then and didn’t want to leave him every night while I dashed off to the bridge club.
So, I gave up duplicate (or competitive) bridge for over 30 years. Sadly, my husband died in 2009, the year I started blogging, and shortly thereafter I returned to the bridge club. Becoming a Life Master seemed unattainable, but gradually I began to accumulate the points necessary to achieve that lofty goal, which is the standard by which bridge players are measured.
That entailed traveling to sectional and regional tournaments to earn the required number of gold and silver points. It hasn’t been easy. I’ve been to tournaments where I didn’t win a single point of any color.
I’ve scratched and clawed my way one point at a time and I’m only 1.90 points from my goal. I’ve booked a flight to my hometown of Manhattan to play in the May regional where I hope to grab the golden ring – those final points.
What a ride it’s been! I’ve had great fun, improved my game and made many friends, who are the sustenance of life.
What are your goals? You haven’t given up on setting some really tough ones, have you? That would be a shame. You have so many more years to live, to experience the thrill of accomplishment, and to enjoy all that life holds.
To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“Write it on your heart
that every day is the best day in the year.
He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day
who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.
Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit
to be cumbered with your old nonsense.
This new day is too dear,
with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on the yesterdays.”
So leave today behind. Tomorrow is a new day and a new beginning.
Jeannette Paladino is business writer, blogger, and project manager helping organizations to build brand awareness, increase revenues, and engage employees as brand advocates. Visit her at http://writespeaksell.com.