I think the biggest difference for those in AfterWork is about choice. If you choose to work because you love what you did …wonderful. If you have to work because you can’t survive without that paycheck ( I’m not talking about trips, etc) it is very different.
I think that staying current with technology is critical as so many jobs use increasing amounts of technology even if you are just(?) working out time in a grocery store. We need to support elders access to technology both at home and in the workplace.
The challenges include being able to find an appropriate employer (see ageism, ableism), and the physical/mental stamina to sustain a responsible work commitment. Many older adults have had to forsake or adjust retirement plans because they became caregivers - itself often a full-time occupation. Looking forward to your presentation, we need creative and innovative action for fresh perspectives and opportunities.
I'm 63 and my husband is 61. We'll be working, God willing, for a long time. We've got one kid still in college (who plans to get her masters and then her PhD), one who has autism and earns minimum wage, and another who's just launching his own business. I don't know that we'll get any kind of After Work as we won't be able to stop working! Looking forward to your book launch, Don. Congratulations!
Don, your invitation to consider alternative terms to replace "retirement" is interesting. Many seem to be discussing "rewiring" or "refocusing." "After Work" may or may not capture the literal situation for those who left one career, but chose to continue working at something different, whether paid or unpaid, fulfilling or not. It is healthy to consider positive terms; our language often influences our attitudes and actions. We are living and working longer--living purposefully remains an important goal. I agree that we need rational approaches to this new stage of life and look forward to your new book. It is timely to say the least. I will see you at the launch!
This really is such an interesting and helpful reframe. With longevity, the goal isn’t escape. it’s alignment. Here’s to building an AfterWork that fits senior’s values, finances, and energy.
Choosing to continue working in a paid position is for a minority. Most people are in physically and/or mentally demanding jobs that are difficult to do, and even more difficult to do well, as aging sets in. I'm thinking women, especially, who typically bear the lion's share of domestic responsibilities and who are the majority of nurses and teachers, just two examples. My grandmother was of the WWII generation, and lived to be almost 100, very active, lived alone until she was in her mid-90s, but that didn't mean she was up for working outside the home in her old age. And by today's standards, she would be exceptionally healthy. Really, cutting retirement has nothing to do with us living longer, and everything to do with politics. So the question becomes whether this is what all of us actually want.
Annette, as a historian you can appreciate that retirement plans were never really about what older adults want, but about solving other sticky political problems under cover of doing something kind for the old folks. Whether it's what we want was never a big factor in the equation.
I think the biggest difference for those in AfterWork is about choice. If you choose to work because you love what you did …wonderful. If you have to work because you can’t survive without that paycheck ( I’m not talking about trips, etc) it is very different.
I think that staying current with technology is critical as so many jobs use increasing amounts of technology even if you are just(?) working out time in a grocery store. We need to support elders access to technology both at home and in the workplace.
Kathy, good point. Plus learning new things keeps our brains agile.
The challenges include being able to find an appropriate employer (see ageism, ableism), and the physical/mental stamina to sustain a responsible work commitment. Many older adults have had to forsake or adjust retirement plans because they became caregivers - itself often a full-time occupation. Looking forward to your presentation, we need creative and innovative action for fresh perspectives and opportunities.
Wendl, those are real obstacles to working longer. It truly is not for everyone.
I'm 63 and my husband is 61. We'll be working, God willing, for a long time. We've got one kid still in college (who plans to get her masters and then her PhD), one who has autism and earns minimum wage, and another who's just launching his own business. I don't know that we'll get any kind of After Work as we won't be able to stop working! Looking forward to your book launch, Don. Congratulations!
Susan, you are not alone in that predicament. I hope the financial picture shakes out eventually so you can get a little time for yourselves.
Say it ain’t so…
Don, your invitation to consider alternative terms to replace "retirement" is interesting. Many seem to be discussing "rewiring" or "refocusing." "After Work" may or may not capture the literal situation for those who left one career, but chose to continue working at something different, whether paid or unpaid, fulfilling or not. It is healthy to consider positive terms; our language often influences our attitudes and actions. We are living and working longer--living purposefully remains an important goal. I agree that we need rational approaches to this new stage of life and look forward to your new book. It is timely to say the least. I will see you at the launch!
Diane, thanks for sharing these thoughts.
This really is such an interesting and helpful reframe. With longevity, the goal isn’t escape. it’s alignment. Here’s to building an AfterWork that fits senior’s values, finances, and energy.
Congratulations on the book!
I was not ready to retire at 61 and couldn’t afford it. I’d work until 65 if I could, but 63 is fast approaching and I’m no closer to employed.
More American boomers, I suspect, had a pension. Lots of us aren’t so lucky, or retirement would be sweeter.
But yes, we are living longer and broker.
Leslie, I hope that is not the end of the story. Don't give up. And by all means, keep writing!
Choosing to continue working in a paid position is for a minority. Most people are in physically and/or mentally demanding jobs that are difficult to do, and even more difficult to do well, as aging sets in. I'm thinking women, especially, who typically bear the lion's share of domestic responsibilities and who are the majority of nurses and teachers, just two examples. My grandmother was of the WWII generation, and lived to be almost 100, very active, lived alone until she was in her mid-90s, but that didn't mean she was up for working outside the home in her old age. And by today's standards, she would be exceptionally healthy. Really, cutting retirement has nothing to do with us living longer, and everything to do with politics. So the question becomes whether this is what all of us actually want.
Annette, as a historian you can appreciate that retirement plans were never really about what older adults want, but about solving other sticky political problems under cover of doing something kind for the old folks. Whether it's what we want was never a big factor in the equation.
Ooh, tell that to Claude Pepper! 😂