the colors of retirement
There are two colors for the retreat: gray and silver.
What we assume about this stage of life is often the gray matter. That comes from what happened to mom and dad or grandpa. They retired and traveled. They retired and took up carpentry… or quilting… or golf. They withdrew and remained in the background compared to what was happening in the rest of the world. They withdrew and practically disappeared. The gray is not very noticeable. Or very interesting. Eventually, they disappeared, but usually long after the culture forgot them.
Is this approach inevitable? Is it what is happening with people who are retiring now?
Only if they choose. There are so many more options than moving to Palm Springs or playing golf five days a week.
The traditional version of retirement is based on the concept of “the golden years” that Del Webb gave us as a culture in 1960 as part of the inaugural marketing effort for the first Sun City, a retirement community outside of Phoenix. It was a way of putting a positive spin on a very negative situation. At the time, American workers were required to retire at a certain age, and once they did, society pretty much forgot about them. Webb and others turned this invisibility into the idea that retirement was playtime, that retirees have earned the opportunity to have fun all day, every day. A life of 100% leisure.
For those who still work, this sounds like Nirvana, but as a lifestyle, it can be bleak. Not even children play all day every day. Not having a purpose or a way to contribute creates a wide variety of health problems, both mental and physical, for the individual and robs society of their talents and abilities.
But this mentality continues because many believe:
* People old enough to retire are fragile: they are in poor health, have no energy, and are physically incapable of doing much of what younger people can do.
* Are short-term members of society; they will die or go into a nursing home (and then die) in a few years or even months.
* They are inept: “out of their minds” the vast majority of the time, with no idea what is going on in the world and no ability to do much about it anyway.
* They are irrelevant or, worse still, a burden: nothing they do has an impact beyond their own lives. Many of them can’t even take care of themselves.
This is the GRAY version of retired life. Lifeless, fading, boring. Also BAD.
NONE of this is mandatory, necessary or wise. Most of it is just nonsense. The truth about people old enough to retire is much less limiting. But to get where we plan using a better model, we have to adopt a new set of assumptions:
* AT THIS AGE, WE ARE STILL ROBUST. The vast majority of those who choose to retire are at the top of their game. Physically, they are in better shape than their parents even when they were ten years younger.
* WE ARE MOVING INTO A LONG TERM LIVING STAGE. Those retiring now are likely to last at least another fifteen years and more likely twenty-five to thirty. Those who retire at age 55 could easily spend more time in retirement than in the workforce.
* WE ARE AN IMPORTANT SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION. In numbers. In purchasing power. And if we take the time to plan for it, in the roles we take on and the challenges we face for our families, communities and society at large.
* WE ARE ENERGIZED. The opportunity to do things we believe in with the flexibility to accommodate all the other things we value is invigorating. This age group has the potential to recharge ourselves and our communities, and whatever else we decide to undertake. We can have “the good life” and “do good” at the same time. We are in a position to give but also to take the time to enjoy what life has to offer.
This version of retirement is SILVER: bright and full of energy. Retirement, using this set of assumptions, is the time in life when we can really have it all, do it all, be it all, on our terms.
What color attitude are you going to choose? WHY SETTLE FOR GRAY WHEN SILVER IS ONLY A MATTER OF MENTALITY? What attitude are you going to adopt while doing your planning?