“Most Americans won’t be able to clock out for the last time until around age 80, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute.” Forrest Jones, Moneynews.com writing in the Financial Intelligence Report of August 2011.
As I approach age 65 this November and think about how much I was looking forward to retiring and not having to answer to the demands of a structured work schedule I am now being forced to forgo my retirement all together.
I have a tendency to be angry and upset as I have worked hard all my life and now am somehow being cheated out of my senior years. However, after more consideration to retiring, I am beginning to see the advantages of not retiring. I have worked hard and saved well because Arlene and I have worked as a team through some 40 years of marriage.
So, instead of griping and being discontent I decided to list some benefits of not retiring.
- By continuing to work I can finish making the million dollars that I was going to make as soon as I could after high school and at least by the time I reached age 25.
- I can continue to play with all the smart phones and technology and pretend I know what I am doing and still ask my Grandkids to program the VCR and set the clock in the kitchen.
- I can continue to make mistakes on Facebook, My Space, and Twitter and everyone overlooks them.
- I can start my diet over for the umpteenth time and continue to take all kinds of energy drinks and still indulge in fast food. (When I was a kid, fast food was getting your meal and being gone within 30 minutes. After all, it is still called a lunch hour.)
- I can continue to work and coworkers seek out my advice. They seldom listen or take my advice but it is nice that they ask. Sometimes I have been known to give advice even when they didn’t ask for it. I like being helpful.
- I can tell amazing stories of how we put a man on the moon with a slide rule, an archaic device for math calculations. I know how to use an abacus. I know how to use fractions and round numbers for multiplication. I know how to make change on transactions when the electricity goes off.
- I can drive under the speed limit and people blow their horns and wave at me. How fortunate I am to make friends so easily out of complete strangers.
So I think I will continue to work and be productive. After watching some old horses being loaded in a truck going to help out a glue factory, I am motivated to work harder. I like be able to pay the government instead of the government paying me. I think the government pays a lot of folks too much for their work but if I become a retiree I just wouldn’t feel right about complaining about how bad a job they are doing. (I don’t want a letter from my representative saying, “Be quiet old man. Remember you work for us now.”)
Yes, I will keep working, pay my taxes, and enjoy this great country. Everything is going wrong and personally I think we are running out of time. On the other hand, sitting down and waiting for the inevitable is just not my style. Therefore I will be proud to continue to make this country a better place and stay employed and active as long as I can. Hey, the younger generation needs me.
