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My brother-in-law finally retired from a long career in police work in New York City. I say "finally," because he was given several opportunities over the years to accept early retirement, yet he stayed until the bitter end. It wasn't that he was passionate about his career anymore -- those days were long gone. He had advanced his way to the top and was "pushing a desk job," as he often said. So with the opportunity to collect retirement and have fun each day, why wasn't he thrilled to retire?
His anxiety stemmed from an inability to answer the question, "What will I do each day after I retire?"
There's no question that retirement is a major milestone in life. For many people, work plays an important role in defining who they are as human beings. Take away work, and you take the purpose and meaning out of their lives. It's as if society has said to them, "We no longer need you. You must now leave."
Not to mention that after decades of work, facing the prospect of having nothing to do each day can be terribly stressful. And if the person about to retire defines retirement as the beginning of the last phase of life, it can be a full-blown traumatic event -- one to avoid at all costs. No wonder many people dread retirement and approach it with anxiety.
There Must Be a Better Way
There is, and the solution lies within the meaning of the word "retirement." I found the following synonyms for retirement in my thesaurus:
- End of a career.
- Withdrawal.
- Separation.
- Departure.
- Severance.
- Leaving.
- Collecting a pension.
- Removal of elderly employee.
For people who want to continue contributing to society through meaningful work, and feel that retirement is unnecessary, premature and counterproductive to their overall mental and physical health, the above definitions -- especially the last one -- are difficult to accept.
A Lesson from My Father
My father was skilled in chair caning and antique furniture refinishing; they had been his part-time hobbies for years. Before my father retired from his life's career, he told people he was about to make a career change and would be working full-time at chair caning and furniture refinishing. And sure enough, the day after he retired, he was in his woodworking shop. His days were busy, and he often said he worked harder after retirement than before.
For my father, there was no abrupt change in his work schedule -- only a change in the location and nature of his work. He even claimed he earned more income after he retired.
Dad understood the importance of having something to do each day and prepared for it before retirement. By converting his part-time hobby into a full-time post-retirement career, Dad felt he was still contributing to the needs of others. He spent countless hours in his wood shop and truly enjoyed his retirement years. He even claimed that his post-retirement career was the main reason for his longevity; he lived to the ripe old age of 85.
If you're like me, you refuse to think of retirement as an end. It's simply a change in career direction. Like my father, my woodworking hobby will be my means of creating a fulfilling retirement when it's my turn.
