"When I Grow Up/Retire"

Time certainly has a way of changing your view on things. Example: I remember being asked when I was small, what I wanted to be when I grew up. I don't actually remember my answer but when I grew up the decision as to what I did was based on a lot of factors and not just what I wanted. I had to think how I would support a wife and children rather than just what would make me happy.

I was lucky in that all the time I was working at my full time job (personal manager for the Air Force Reserve), I was also able to do things I liked to do on the side. I wrote articles for newspapers, was on radio and TV, and eventually began to write books. But as time passed the question people began to ask was what I was going to do when I retired.

In this day and age people are living longer and being healthier longer. That means that most of us can plan to be retired at some point in our life, and we will hopefully be able to do those things we always wanted to do. I know people who have started second careers as painters, woodworkers, writers, and other "fun" jobs.

I think really we are the first generation to be able to plan to do work in retirement that will make us happy. My father's generation just wanted to be able to retire period. My father worked hard jobs for long hours so when he did finally retire he was tired. All he wanted to do in retirement was not work. He didn't want to take up a second career, no thank you very much. He just wanted to sit around the house, go to a ballgame now and then, visit with his kids, and that was it. He was happy basically doing nothing.

Other people I have talked with who retire and don't have anything to do are miserable. They say the days have no purpose and just stretch out forever in front of them. I am sure they could find something that would make them happy but they tell me they don't have a clue as to what it is.

My brother is retired. He was an English teacher and retired from the school system. Today he stays busy substitute teaching. He says it is good for him to have something to do that gets him out of the house. On days when he isn't called in to sub he makes sure he has some other activity planned. He is divorced and lives alone so I am sure it is lonesome when he doesn't have something planned to do.

Of course one requirement of doing your "dream activity" when you retire is having enough money to live on while you pursue these second careers. With companies scaling back on retirement programs and health costs going through the roof, having enough money is not always a given. It takes some hard planning, at least I see it that way.

Still it is nice to know that today most people can count on a second act to life. The first fifty years may be for security and the second fifty for fun. Sounds like a winner doesn't it? Here's hoping all of you will have that second fifty and it will be full of all the things you once said you wanted to do when you grew up.

 

 

 

 

 

©2006 Jackie K. Cooper

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