Every time someone I know retires, my stomach drops. It feels as if retirement could be contagious.
I’m a 62-year-old woman living in Florida, a retirement haven, and I find it jarring when people assume that my working days are behind me.
I’m quick to tell them that I come from a family of highly driven creatives. My grandfather wrote books until the day he died. My father is 87, and work continues to give him purpose. He is a lexicographer (he compiles dictionaries), a linguist, and a lifelong English teacher. He used to own a language school, but when the building’s rent skyrocketed, he gave it up and now teaches online or in person at his students’ homes.
My dad lives in Madrid, and we catch up on the phone several times a week. Of course, we talk about our personal lives, and I update him on his grandchildren, but mostly, we discuss projects we’re working on. I tell him about the book I want to write next, and he sends me a chapter of his latest work for feedback.
Neither of us can imagine life without a creative project underway. For us, work has always been about more than making a living. Neither of us sees a reason to retire.
Work provides more than just a paycheck
My father has compiled numerous dictionaries in English and Spanish, published by reputable publishers. He continues working on them well into his 80s. He is currently developing a bilingual phraseological dictionary that he hopes to see published online.
His dedication to this project is remarkable, especially considering that he relentlessly pitches it to universities and digital publications — in a world where silence is more common than rejection.
This work ethic keeps his mind active as a superager.
Courtesy of Lorraine C. Ladish
I was a writer and a book author long before I became a digital content creator. My work is now focused on helping people age actively and with enthusiasm. This work allows me to earn a comfortable living on my own terms.
My enthusiasm for sharing stories of grit and overcoming isn’t going away just because I’m nearing retirement age. Quite the contrary. Work, aside from income, provides me with intellectual stimulation, relevance, a creative outlet, and the opportunity to adapt to technology.
Because I work for myself, I also enjoy a great deal of freedom. I also feel that I lead a fulfilling life with room for leisure and time and energy to devote to other things like improv and theater classes, working out at the gym, practicing yoga, traveling with my husband, doing pet therapy for the community with my dog, and being there for my kids.
Purpose doesn’t have an expiration date
For me, the question is, why would I want to stop doing something that feels meaningful? At 62, I don’t even feel I’ve peaked yet. I have different creative projects underway, from freelance writing to producing sponsored content on my social media channels and my next book.
The older I get, the more I feel I have to offer, simply because experience has broadened my perspective and given me more material to write about.
At 62, I feel I’m just now starting to understand the power of living one’s life purpose.
I don’t know what my professional life will look like in 10 or 20 years, but like my father, I don’t see myself stopping as long as my work continues to give me a sense of purpose.
