dagblog - Comments for "The End Of Retirement"

Great discussion. However,

Michael Nuschke — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 23:58:27 +0000

Great discussion.

However, it misses some key elements; namely that advances in technology will enable radically longer, healthier life spans. The notion of retirement is a concept that restricts us in how we see our lives. It's not that retirement is the goody we get after struggling to save money while 'working for the man'.

Rather, we should recognize that, if we are in decent shape and to be around for another 20 years, we will likely like active, healthy lives until age 120+ This is coming about because of the eradication of disease, and introduction of rejuvenation therapies over the next 15-20 years. We as a culture are heavily invested in the notion of aging and decline as inevitable. If you do some research, you may see that the future will not look like the past.

Changed my mind. You're

artappraiser — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 07:01:18 +0000

In reply to Old people are parasites. You

Changed my mind. You're right. It was this story that done it--turns out this lazy ass took two whole years off a while back, two whole years not working. And when she's working, she's not even up to what it takes out there on the front lines during the season of cheer:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/110976339.html

Like Logan's Run maybe ?

cmaukonen — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:22:12 +0000

In reply to Old people are parasites. You

Like Logan's Run maybe ?

Fab ain't seen nothing yet.

moat — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:27:39 +0000

In reply to Oceankat those jobs sound

Fab ain't seen nothing yet. Just wait till old people get a hold of him.

Great discussion, Destor.

EmmaZahn — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:08:38 +0000

In reply to The End Of Retirement

Great discussion, Destor. Much here to mull over.

Retirement cannot come soon

TomT — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:18:36 +0000

In reply to The End Of Retirement

Retirement cannot come soon enough for some of us because we are simply worn out by the job we have/had. I retired just one month short of working 41 years for the same employer at the age of 60. 12 to 13 hour days and nights (6 AM to 6 PM one month and 6 PM to 6 AM the next) under high pressure without being able to walk away for a break just kills you.

I never run out of things to do while retired. In fact it never seems like there is enough time. Off to the YMCA 3 days a week, yard work, I do most of the cooking now, keeping the yard equipment in shape, scanning in those old poloroid pictures before they fade away, I should clean up my woodworking shop so I can walk in it again, it is august and I can't figure why I have only had the boat out once this year, just did a front break job on the wifes car and I should do mine, been here 11 years and never finished the basement and I could build my own cabinets, and why did I agree to do a clinical study for the U of M and have to participate 3 days a week. Which reminds me I have to get going now.

If I only had time...

heh, I used to work in retail

matyra — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:47:00 +0000

In reply to Until I read your statements,

heh, I used to work in retail (Target), and the day after Thanksgiving made Thanksgiving a day of dread. it's in times like that that your evaluate your life: "Aren't I supposed to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas?"

The answer was, yes, I should be able to enjoy the holidays. Besides, I was a crappy stocker.

Until I read your statements,

chucktrotter — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 08:35:19 +0000

In reply to Retirement is when a robot

Until I read your statements, I always went with your first. Giving your statement further thought, I would rather be a contented and happy average guy than to be a slave to an occupation that I dread every moment that I perform a task that I detest. I believe that loving what one does is a prerequisite to excellence. Doing well is in the eyes of the beholder. My skills are limited...My love of a task has no bounds!

Retirement is when a robot

matyra — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 07:18:45 +0000

In reply to The End Of Retirement

Retirement is when a robot that strongly resembles a human is killed. Because humans do not consider robots to be "alive" in the first place, killing a robotic servant of mankind is seen as "retiring" a machine and not murder.

Urban Dictionary. (I wonder what the suburban dictionary would say?)

Maybe the word itself is wrong. What I hope one day to have is "financial independence". When I work because I want to--not because I have to--that's something to strive for.

I have a friend working a job he hates. I already got rid of that by working towards a job that I love (and, yes, it's part luck too that I have this job). If the work that you do is something that you're good at, and something that you like, isn't that halfway there? I anticipate slowing down, maybe, with time--but by then I'll be as efficient as hell. (Reading too much of that awful book "The 4 hour workweek.").

I think there's a saying "Do what you love and the money will come." If the saying said, "Do what you love, and do it well, the money will come"--that's more apt.

My great grandfather on my

LarryH — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 07:06:59 +0000

In reply to The End Of Retirement

My great grandfather on my mother’s side started work at the age of eight in a shoe factory in San Francisco. He eventually became the general manager of that factory. He died at the age of 59, on the job. I am grateful to him, not because he worked in a factory all his life, but because he took the time for a little selfish pleasure to beget my grandmother who begat my mother who begat me. It is because of these three orgasms, these three moments of not working, that I exist, along with some other mysterious forces in the universe. Neither my existence nor its meaning has anything to do with being employed.

In the 1970’s the state of California decided that the name “Unemployment Department” had the wrong lilt so they officially changed it to the “Department of Employment Development,” or DED which when spoken sounds very much like “dead.” So it was decreed that the “Department of Employment Development” would be referred, to, atypically, as the “Employment Development Department” or EDD. They did not officially change the name. Meditate on this at level 5 until the next mind meld.