Redefining Retirement
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15 January 2018 at 7:38 pm #439539
Definition of retirement needs to change.
Definition of retirement (Merriam Webster)
1 a : an act of retiring : the state of being retired
b : withdrawal from one’s position or occupation or from active working life
c : the age at which one normally retires reaches retirement.
2 : a place of seclusion or privacyIn answer to Pauls reference that “ retirement is an illusion” in his latest Blog (Yes You Can!)
In Paul’s Blog he states:
“Nah! Most likely a mix of not having parents to teach you to work with your hands and teachers who were overwhelmed, lacking in vision or worn down altogether, waiting for the illusion of retirement.”
I’m not here to bash Paul Sellers or take exception to what he wrote. ( I’m retired)
Rather I’m trying to make a point that things have changed , at least here in the U.S.
Maybe where you live as well?People here are living longer and are much healthier than 20-30 years ago.
This is one of the reasons our Social Security system is going bankrupt, under the original plan put forth by the Roosevelt administration you were supposed to die at age 67. Instead people are living into their 80s and 90s today.Not only are we living longer but we are much healthier and more active.
We have time and resources to pursue activities that we might have dismissed at an earlier age because then we had more pressing needs at that time of our lives. Raising children, feeding ourselves and finding a place to live come to mind.So what i am speaking of is a time of hope and resurgence of the arts as people find new outlets for the creative urges that have remained dormant in our lives because we all scrambled to provide for our families and tried to make a decent living for ourselves at an earlier time.
So what I’m reaching for is a modern definition of Retirement, it no longer means “withdrawal from active working life”.
It’s no longer a point in our lives where we seek seclusion or withdrawal from life to do what, die?
Heck no, we have another 20-50 years where we no longer are supposed to curl up and withdrawal from life. Instead a growing number of us are going to contribute our knowledge and wisdom gained over the years and pass that knowledge on to our children and grandchildren! Or maybe, even better, revive the arts by teaching others as Paul is doing right now.So help me redefine Retirement!
A; the act of leaving meaningless work and doing something that makes one happy?
B; engagement of life and rediscovering work that has meaning?
C; time to discover the things that make life worthwhile?I’m sure anyone can do better than my lame attempts at redefining retirement.
My whole point is i don’t despair that we are losing all knowledge.
Rather we are on the verge of rediscovery our dormant potential and along with this the revival of woodworking and other “lost arts”.
Don’t despair Paul, you are part of a revolution, people are looking for something that has meaning in their lives and they want to pass on something to their children and grandchildren. In other words you are training future teachers who will ignite others to seek further lessons from masters of the art.23 February 2018 at 1:31 am #480127I’m 43 and one of the very many reasons I’ve pursued woodworking is because I feel a calling to become independent from things like social security. In other words, I feel a growing need within myself to rely on myself. For example, if I want new cabinetry I want to have the ability to make it without spending 5,000 dollars. Here in the U.S. that’s actually not that unusually expensive for decent cabinets. Or, if I want a table in my kitchen, I can make a quality one without spending an arm and a leg. I use to think my journey in woodworking was about selling stuff in quantity so I can make extra money. Nope. I’m not a laborer. I’m a craftsman.
Instead, I like the idea and feeling of buying reclaimed lumber or maybe even free wood from demo. jobs and making what I need the way I want it. If this is conservationalism, I absolutely love it. This is new to me believe it or not. Here in the U.S., a frequently used process of getting what we need is throwing things out and buying more of the same poorly made stuff.
Great read Thomas. Thanks for starting this topic. You make a lot of good points.
- This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by Anthony Greitzer.
- This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by Anthony Greitzer.
- This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by Anthony Greitzer.
23 February 2018 at 7:32 am #480272I’m 43 and one of the very many reasons I’ve pursued woodworking is because I feel a calling to become independent from things like social security.
Good luck with that. A self employed artisan is required to pay both the employee and employer portions of social security.
You pay 12.4% instead of 6.2%. And you pay 2.9% Medicare instead of 1.6%.
Read and weep:
https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10022.pdf
^^^I don’t necessarily think that’s what he meant but I’m not him so I can’t say for sure. Personally, I just enjoy doing things myself, be it woodwork, home projects, landscaping, appliance repair, etc. I like to believe that, unless it requires some expensive specialized tools or advanced degree (like coding or something), that I have the mental and physical wherewithal to take care of myself and my family without having to pay someone what often seems like an outrageous amount of money for something that seems within my grasp.
For example, the 5 year old washing machine in my house broke (ball bearings crapped out). Whirlpool wanted $150 just to show up and diagnose the (easily diagnosable thanks to the Internet) problem, then probably another $250 to perform the repair. There’s no reason a brand new machine should break after 5 years and have repairs cost nearly as much as a total replacement. So I purchased the repair kit for $100 and followed some youtube videos and the instructions that came with it and the repair was done to perfection on a Saturday afternoon (and I felt that I learned something from the experience so there was a bonus). Maybe I’m just cheap but the world today shouldn’t be such a drain…
24 February 2018 at 12:25 am #482552Larry,
I won’t be self-employed becacause at 57 when I retire from teaching I’ll be collecting my teacher pension. I’m grandfathered into the old teacher pension system so the changes currently happening won’t effect me. While I receive my pension, I’ll be woodworking and making quality furniture that I wish to have. My wife and I will also be attending craft fairs to showcase some of my items that I’ve mastered. For example, the toy chest I made for a neighbor as a gift for their new baby, which lead to another neighbor offering to pay for one. They will receive one but as a gift, not for money. I’m already locked into a different project right now so their toy chest won’t be ready till Christmas.
I’m an ex-athlete (nonprofessional) and learned to except constructive criticism from people as challenges. Thank you for the motivation. Don’t need the the good luck advice. I make my own, just like some of the furniture in my shop as well as my house. Honestly, thank you. I’m always looking for new sparks to light my fire.
7 March 2018 at 1:34 am #491572Nice Dave. Your right about things falling apart after 5 years. It’s one of the reasons I got into woodworking. I grew up with things that lasted AND my family did not pay a fortune for it.
I can hear the Whirlpool workers now, “If you want to dance, you gotta pay the band. If you want to play, you gotta pay the man.” WelL, crime doesn’t pay either.
7 March 2018 at 12:59 pm #491949I agree with all that’s been said but it’s not what I meant.
You wouldn’t say Paul has “retired”. He seems to me to be working hard if not harder than he ever has. He most certainly has not “withdrawn from active working life”.
A growing number of people have the opportunity and freedom to do what they like and are becoming more engaged with life, it’s a choice that you make.
I’m not withdrawing from life but I’m not working either!
It sounds very pretentious for me to say I’m a lifestyle woodworker as I’m still learning the craft. I’m going to school but not in the traditional manner as it doesn’t exist in a formal setting. Most certainly we are Paul’s virtual apprentices.
I guess I’ll just tell people I’m going back to school to pursue another career. I’ll know I’ve graduated when I can design and sell my own stuff. -
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