Last time, I introduced you to Joe, the “retired” electrician who now operates a coffee and gelato shop in downtown Toronto.
Now, I want you to meet my Aunt Virginia. Whereas Joe tried retirement and decided it wasn’t for him, Aunt Virginia has never even considered it. She’ll be 90 years old early next year, and she still works full-time as the director of the fundraising arm of a Catholic charity.
Aunt Virginia easily looks 20 years younger than her age. Her voice is strong. Her thoughts are razor-sharp. She expresses herself with a speed and fluidity that would make broadcasters envious. She can speak with authority about the things in her command: the campaigns, the staff, the budgets, the computer system.
Her first career was teaching. She worked full-time at it until her children were born when she switched to supply teaching. One day, when she was in her 50’s, my mother called to see if Aunt Virginia could cover for her for a day at the retail shop my mother managed at the same Catholic organization. That turned into a week. Then, the priest in charge asked if Virginia wouldn’t mind helping out in the fundraising area. At first, it was opening the mail. It wasn’t long before she was in charge, a position she has now held for 40 years.
Why does she continue to work? In short, she loves it. She gets up every morning with purpose and enthusiasm.
“What should I be doing? Knitting?
She’s not the type to relax or stay home. Even on weekends or holidays, she needs to get out at some point during the day. She regularly logs 10,000 steps in a day.
“I love the challenges that working puts in front of me. I’m constantly learning. It creates a situation where I continue to do the things that younger people do because I am still part of that world. I get my hair done, I buy new clothes, I upgrade my cellphone and understand how it works and how to use it”.
These things that help her keep up with the younger crowd also cause her to not fit in so well with her contemporaries, many of whom don’t even use a cell phone or send text messages for example.
I asked her if, when she was, say, 60 years old, she thought ahead to the time when she would be 65 or 70 and think that she’d retire then. I got an unequivocal “No!”
“I will continue to do this and will only stop for two reasons. One, if my family needs me at home. Two, if I am no longer able, physically or mentally, to perform the job. Otherwise, I’ll go straight from here (the office) to Patterson’s (the local funeral home).
She acknowledges that her employer gives her the flexibility to step out or alter her hours if she needs to tend to something outside of work, such as taking Uncle John to a medical appointment. So, despite working full time, she’s maintained balance in her life.
But more importantly, she has found fulfillment. She enjoys each day and thrives. Why would you stop doing that? Most of the world thinks that at a certain age, you’re supposed to stop, slow down, or do other things.
The point of these stories is that “retirement” is not about whether you work for pay. It’s about whether you have to work. Ultimately, we are all looking for freedom and fulfillment. For most people, it means releasing ourselves from work commitments and from having our day, priorities, and agenda dictated by others or outside forces. Freeing ourselves from that opens up time for us to pursue our own agenda. For some people, that means they can travel or pursue hobbies that work got in the way of. Others, like Joe and Aunt Virginia, don’t feel restricted by working, which fulfills them in a way that traditional retirement activities will not.
The trend I’m seeing is that many people fall in between the two extremes, a place where they start earlier/younger and work some of the time. That requires planning that ensures their choices are financially sustainable so that they are working because they want to, not because they have to. Once you reach that point, I believe you’re retired whether you continue to work or not.