What does retirement mean to you? To me, retirement means the freedom to do as you want day-to-day without having to work. Not depending on a job for a livelihood – in other words, labor producing work is for enjoyment or specific purpose, and not paycheck focused.
In my opinion, this applies at any retirement age, young or old … how many seniors do you know that actually stay home all day? Or vacation constantly? Nearly all the seniors I know volunteer in some form – be it soup kitchens, Habitat For Humanity, local block clubs, the volunteer ethic is strong in the senior community. Many cease volunteering in their 80s (although my grandfather’s upstairs tenant who passed away last year was 97 and still volunteering at the local community center), but in their 60s and 70s seniors don’t seem prepared to just sit. They have the freedom to do as they please – from volunteering to playing to working (and some do work just for social and mental stimulation, not necessarily for monetary need).
Young or old, the word retirement to me is synonymous with the freedom to pursue the things that you enjoy, without having to work for a paycheck.
Are you retired? If not, at what age would you like to retire? What Does Retirement Mean To You?
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Stephanie B says
Retirement to me (at the ripe old age of 25) means that over the next few decades my husband and I do everything the right way and can enjoy our 50s and 60s together traveling without having to worry about working a regular job for our income. Retirement for us is something I think about often. I expect that there won’t be much for social security by the time we reach that age, so we have been putting away regularly for the future. We plan to be done having children by the time I reach 30 so retirement for us also means the kids will be off at college and out of the house…something I have been dreaming about today while my 2 year old is going through his “I don’t want that, its yucky” phase.
Ann says
I don’t think there will be Social Security for me, Stephanie, so I do think you are SOL (you are the same age as Sonny-boy!?)
Ann
Candie says
Ann, You don’t even want to know what I get from SSA, for my 48 years of employed life, it is a joke. I have just recently retired, I was actually pushed out because of my age, they had been making my life a living hell for the last five years I was employed by the fire department. I loved my job and the firemen, they were like a second family to me. After staying home for two months, I realized that retirement was not for me. I started applying for part time jobs. I found one within two weeks of my search. I absolutely love my part time job, they appreciate me and my experience, my work ethics and how dedicated I am to my new company. They let me work whatever hours I want to, as long as I work between 20 and 25 hours. I can come in at whatever time I want and I don’t have to work Friday if I have all of my hours completed. After only being there two months they gave me a $2.00 an hour raise. I can’t make any more money or I will have to give it all back to the IRS. It is wonderful to get up every morning and know that I go to work happy to be there. I started volunteering at the Dallas Ft. Worth Humane Society and it breaks my heart to see what people can do to innocent animals, but it is good to see that last Saturday I helped 8 dogs get adopted in 2 hours. I volunteer at a hospice that took care of my mom in the last six months of her life. This is such a wonderful thing to do. I work mostly with patients that have Alzheimers, just like my mom, since I dealt with it for 13 years, I feel I can give families helpful information on how to care for their loved one.
Ann says
Candie it sounds like you are living retirement to the very fullest! And your PT job sounds fantastic!
Ann