Philosophy 400

What is the nature of retirement?

Last night, as we were preparing for bed, Peggie said it had occurred to her that we were now in our longest period of not working, since retirement. When you think about it, it means we are also in our longest period of not working since we started working. But we started working back in the days before digital record keeping, so there is no way to really know how long that's been. Suffice it to say we both started working before we were married, so it has been longer than forever. If you count school as work for kids, then really, we have almost no memory of life before work.

But what about the original observation?
The first year following retirement, we were both back at work for the school district throughout that school year. Ditto, the year after that. Followed by the first of three seasons in Skagway, during which Peggie worked, and I got paid to have fun (at work).

Now, here it is July 1st and we have not worked since last September. It has been nine months! And counting.

So now, one answer is the "I Choose to Work Club". Aimee Smythe founded the organization following her retirement. It means that those jobs you take, whether contracted, or substituting, or working retail, or driving, or whatever, are totally voluntary. And that means you can do it or not. You can quit any time. You can do it again, or not. You can skip a season. You don't have to work. As a retiree, you get paid anyway.

Since we got home in October, we have been doing just what we want to do. Day by day. Hour by hour. Minute by minute. If at any time we don't want to do what we are doing, we are free to do something else.

So maybe that is it. Retirement is a paid vacation with no end date. Return to work? If you choose to. Find new work? If you choose to. Get paid just because you wake up still breathing? Good choice.