Retirement is someone else's word. It is the opposite of what I want to do. I want to be active and alive. I don't want to fade away. I want to stay in the game. I want to continue to grow!
I consider myself to be a Christian: a follower of Christ. Would a Christian "just fade away" as General MacArthur said about old soldiers. ("Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.") It is rather the opposite for Christians, they will die, but they won't just fade away. They may fade in to obscurity to their fellow man after death, but never to their maker, who loved them and called them.
The Bible speaks about praying to have your youth restored. Scriptures such as Psalm 91: 16 speak about the blessing of a long life. In Psalm 91:14, David speaks about the righteous in this way: "They shall bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing to declare that the Lord is upright..." (NKJ) In other words, they will be fruitful, fresh and flourishing even in old age.
Can a Christian retire? Can a Christian rest on past service or acts of faith? Christians have to press on until death toward the "mark of the high calling" of Christ. How can you press on if you are retired? Can you retire from your purpose, your calling, your mission, your passion or your love? Can a servant say to his master: "I want to retire!"? Can you say to your maker, "I have done enough, I want to take a well-deserved break."?
The Christian can never retire, but does receive a pension. The best imaginable benefits of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These benefits are accrued not by saving or hoarding or a biweekly deposit. They are primarily earned by giving.
Christian retirement is an oxymoron. You can't retire from the Christian life. You can't say that your tenure of service is up and that you want to rest on your laurels. You can't say that you want to cash in your benefits and take them for yourself. You do know, however, that you will be and are rewarded for your years of service, by more opportunities to serve. A Christian will be "fruitful, fresh and flourishing" until the end and forever.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Refiring
I do not believe in retiring! Adjusting one's course or refiring might be a better ways to phrase it. When I think about the word "retirement", I think about taking a permanent vacation. I think retirement is very much the wrong word for the productive work of the the last third or fourth of one's life. Repurposing, renewing, refocusing or rewinding would be better words. It should be a time for even greater fulfillment and finding a deeper commitment to your life's purpose!
Until the industrial age, was retiring even, ever possible? Within the family unit, jobs may have changed as one got older, but retirement? Kings were kings until they died. Farmers were farmers until they died. I do think that there is a time to teach younger people what you have learned and maybe your role will change as you age. There is a time when your health may not permit you to do the same kind of work you could do as a younger person. But retiring from productive work?
Retirement was a term countries used as an enticing socialist reform beginning in the late 1800's, when industries used retirement to remove older workers with stronger, younger workers. It was first instituted in Germany in 1889. Companies would use retirement to move someone out, when that someone was no longer useful to the company. It was eventually considered a right of workers to have a pension on which to retire and many worker looked forward to relief from the tedium of their dull, routine jobs.
My father idealized retirement, as many of his peers did. Social Security was enacted in 1935 and retiring with a pension seemed glorious. The age of sixty-five was chosen as the typical retirement age, because that was the average life expectancy at the time. Some began to think that they did not have to think or plan their own life pathways. Uncle Sam did that for them. My father would always talk about what he would do in retirement. Having the time and money to travel and enjoy life was a big part of that dream. Unfortunately, he did not live long enough to do much of the traveling he hoped to do.
We baby-boomers are rethinking retirement. Our younger friends are saying how much they wish they could retire; yet people I know who are actually approaching "retirement" age, are not wishing it so much. If you are not happy, of course, you should change your job. If you can live on part-time pay and choose to work part time that is great. If you can afford not to work for money; and that is what you want to do, go for it. Just do not have the mistaken notion that a life without meaningful work or activities would be wonderful.
Work is not a bad word. Work is one of the greatest sources of joy and fulfillment. David Bogan and Keith Davies wrote a book called Avoid Retirement and Stay Alive: The New Retirement Revolution. Though I have not read this book yet, I have read enough reviews to recognize that I heartily agree with the premise. Work keeps us alive. There is a difference between your job and your work. Your "work" would be closely aligned with your passion(s) and the purpose for your life, as you see it. Work as an activity is a good thing, too.
As you approach retirement age, think of firing yourself up with renewed purpose and focus. Think of making this time of your life the best of all. Don't retire, just because that is what 65 year-olds do. Don't make the mistake of thinking that lots of leisure time would be a good thing. Make interesting long and short term goals for your life and, if you have not done so until now: learn to love work. (Of course, I preach to myself!)
Until the industrial age, was retiring even, ever possible? Within the family unit, jobs may have changed as one got older, but retirement? Kings were kings until they died. Farmers were farmers until they died. I do think that there is a time to teach younger people what you have learned and maybe your role will change as you age. There is a time when your health may not permit you to do the same kind of work you could do as a younger person. But retiring from productive work?
Retirement was a term countries used as an enticing socialist reform beginning in the late 1800's, when industries used retirement to remove older workers with stronger, younger workers. It was first instituted in Germany in 1889. Companies would use retirement to move someone out, when that someone was no longer useful to the company. It was eventually considered a right of workers to have a pension on which to retire and many worker looked forward to relief from the tedium of their dull, routine jobs.
My father idealized retirement, as many of his peers did. Social Security was enacted in 1935 and retiring with a pension seemed glorious. The age of sixty-five was chosen as the typical retirement age, because that was the average life expectancy at the time. Some began to think that they did not have to think or plan their own life pathways. Uncle Sam did that for them. My father would always talk about what he would do in retirement. Having the time and money to travel and enjoy life was a big part of that dream. Unfortunately, he did not live long enough to do much of the traveling he hoped to do.
We baby-boomers are rethinking retirement. Our younger friends are saying how much they wish they could retire; yet people I know who are actually approaching "retirement" age, are not wishing it so much. If you are not happy, of course, you should change your job. If you can live on part-time pay and choose to work part time that is great. If you can afford not to work for money; and that is what you want to do, go for it. Just do not have the mistaken notion that a life without meaningful work or activities would be wonderful.
Work is not a bad word. Work is one of the greatest sources of joy and fulfillment. David Bogan and Keith Davies wrote a book called Avoid Retirement and Stay Alive: The New Retirement Revolution. Though I have not read this book yet, I have read enough reviews to recognize that I heartily agree with the premise. Work keeps us alive. There is a difference between your job and your work. Your "work" would be closely aligned with your passion(s) and the purpose for your life, as you see it. Work as an activity is a good thing, too.
As you approach retirement age, think of firing yourself up with renewed purpose and focus. Think of making this time of your life the best of all. Don't retire, just because that is what 65 year-olds do. Don't make the mistake of thinking that lots of leisure time would be a good thing. Make interesting long and short term goals for your life and, if you have not done so until now: learn to love work. (Of course, I preach to myself!)
Haiku Revisited
Last night six of us visited the Haiku Restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. My memory of the restaurant from my first visit in July 2012 was so wonderful that I wanted to share it with some special people again. The event was Mary's 24th birthday. The last time I went, the group was seated inside, enjoyed jazz music and wrote little haiku poems with the paper provided to mount on the walls of the restaurant. I wrote Mary three haiku poems before we arrived. I hoped she would like them even a fraction as much as I enjoyed writing them.
This time we ate outside which is a pretty rare phenomenon for mid-September. The sound of soft music and the trickling fountain drowned out the urban noise that would have been obvious with out those masking tools. The weather was perfect as it was not too hot or too cold. As Goldilocks put it, "It was just right!"
The food was good, too; especially the complimentary birthday dessert that Mary got and we all tasted. It was a dish with green tea ice cream, mango ice cream and chocolate, gooey rice ball. Again, it was "just right".
The last time I was there I was overwhelmed with the beautiful gardenias in the outdoor area. This time I searched and searched the patio for the gardenias and I could not find them. The difference between July and September made the flowers less spectacular in other ways, too. The flowers were remnants, but still alive.
I wanted to show Mary and her mother what the inside of the restaurant was like. We got up to walk and I realized the joy of having someone to something beautiful with. It was another "just right" moment.
After we came back to our seats, I spotted the shiny green gardenia leaves and walked over to see them. I was so thrilled that the restaurant had not abandoned the gardenias altogether. Gardenias like it warm and would be soon struggling in the outdoors of Columbus. Then, I saw a most hopeful sign: one small white bud. I hope it blooms!
We gave our hugs as we were returned to our cars by the valet service.We drove off into the crowded city. Within minutes, we observed a "hit and run accident", in which a wheelchair was hit and somewhat mangled by an automobile. The handicapped man was knocked from the wheelchair and his possessions were strewn all over the street. Some people tried to help him, but all he could do was shout profanities because he was so totally angry and upset. The automobile driver kept going. It all happened very fast. We were not really close so there was nothing we could do.
The moral of my narrative is this: savor your "just right" moments, because you never know when the bears will be back!
I wanted to show Mary and her mother what the inside of the restaurant was like. We got up to walk and I realized the joy of having someone to something beautiful with. It was another "just right" moment.
After we came back to our seats, I spotted the shiny green gardenia leaves and walked over to see them. I was so thrilled that the restaurant had not abandoned the gardenias altogether. Gardenias like it warm and would be soon struggling in the outdoors of Columbus. Then, I saw a most hopeful sign: one small white bud. I hope it blooms!
We gave our hugs as we were returned to our cars by the valet service.We drove off into the crowded city. Within minutes, we observed a "hit and run accident", in which a wheelchair was hit and somewhat mangled by an automobile. The handicapped man was knocked from the wheelchair and his possessions were strewn all over the street. Some people tried to help him, but all he could do was shout profanities because he was so totally angry and upset. The automobile driver kept going. It all happened very fast. We were not really close so there was nothing we could do.
The moral of my narrative is this: savor your "just right" moments, because you never know when the bears will be back!
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