Retirement vs Perfect Job

[John Galt]

Had to comment on Holly and the weather. I lived/worked in UPPER Michigan for 11 years. Then, after
I semiretired, lived/worked in Texas for 4 years. Although Michigan is my favorite northern state, I will
never go back. I love Texas, even those spells of
100+ for a week straight. Truly, it never got too hot to suit me
and the humidity in north Texas was not even noticeable
to this midwestern boy. Besides, the mosquitoes are tiny. Not like Minn/Mich/Wisc. mosquitoes which can carry off babies and small cattle.

John Galt

 

[Traveler]

This beautiful spring morning I woke up and started thinking about my beloved Dad. Former Marine (World War II and Korea), son of an Oklahoma sharecropper. Oldest of six kids and first college graduate from his hardscrabble family. Worked himself to the bone providing his four kids with a first-class education and loving home life. Died of a massive heart attack at 48. My age. (My mom's 80 and in good health, thank goodness.)

I've had what many would consider the "perfect" job in television: traveling, writing stories, going first class, living on expenses for years. But one day fours years ago, it hit me that life REALLY IS SHORT. And no one knows when time's up. When the reaper will find your shoulder to tap. Sorry to sound so maudlin, but hey.

So when people start talking about the "right time" to leave even the perfect job, I encourage them so do as soon as possible. Waiting until you're 70, 60, or even 55 may be too late. I'm now at the point where I can taste my own ER coming in the next few months. A few of the young people who I work with at a TV station (other INTJs, by the way), often ask me for career advice.
First I say save and invest your money, don't be a slave to "things", and realize that sooner rather than later you may wake up one morning and realize that you want to make a radical shift in your life. Oh...and I tell them to read this forum for inspiration. And I believe they are.

 

[John Galt]

I've talked before about all of the close friends I've lost,
many of them a lot younger than I am now (59). It's a long list. Now I set goals for myself. I passed Gen. Custer (38) and Caesar (56). Now I am shooting for
(please excuse my phrasing) Hemingway (62). If I make
that, not sure what will follow, other than social
security.

John Galt

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

Did Ted post this before he left? If so, I don't see the problem that led to Ted's departure.

What he stated is a nice goal, and it is what Europeans do. They start with 4 weeks of vacation right off the bat and are expected to take those vacations. Sometimes, the senior people have so much vacation that they can afford to disappear for the month of August. I think it's a great system, but it's not going to happen in the U.S. We are too concerned with quaterly results. Everyone, starting from the CEO, is concerned with hoarding "what's mine" and getting out ASAP before the stock tanks, so that's why we have so many folks shooting for ER. They find that there is no off button on the career treadmill so the only thing they can do is to jump off.

I have a basic problem with that too -- especially with people who are trying to figure out ways to retire by the time they are 35 or some such ridiculously young age.

I believe that people should have the right to retire whenever they want, but as I have said in a number of posts, it is becoming ever more contrary to the national economic interest for people to be retiring early -- especially if they become "totally" retired and don't perform some sort of socially useful service.  Whether they get paid for it or is not too critical, although I am actually in favor of paying retirees for many of the services that they do on a "volunteer" basis, both as a matter of fairness to them, and to induce more of them to participate.

I think that this country needs to substantially reform its attitudes towards retirement -- many of which are written into laws and employment contracts.  The ultimate goal should be one of encouraging people to gradually cut back on their hours worked, but to extend their working years farther into the future on a part-time basis.  That will certainly involve a reduction in annual income, and may also involve a reduction in hourly pay.  That is something that should be determined by the labor market -- not something that is legislated.

If people can extend their working years by starting a new type of work that they find more satisfying, that is wonderful!  And this can be encouraged by older people making a voluntary effort to do business with other older people who do this.

 

[markplus4]

A great post....Corporate America is still married to the old paradigm of years of nonstop 40-50 hour weeks. It's either the full bore rat race or ER....or maybe you can find a partime gig at Walmart. I've known several people at my previous employer who were in their 40's/50's who wanted to continue to contribute, but couldn't get any flexibility from the company. One friend in his early 50's was seriously cooked and asked for a 6 month leave of absence to chase his dream of traveling the country. The HR types said nope....can't get a leave for something as frivolous as taking a break. So he quit.

Did Ted post this before he left? If so, I don't see the problem that led to Ted's departure.

What he stated is a nice goal, and it is what Europeans do. They start with 4 weeks of vacation right off the bat and are expected to take those vacations. Sometimes, the senior people have so much vacation that they can afford to disappear for the month of August. I think it's a great system, but it's not going to happen in the U.S. We are too concerned with quaterly results. Everyone, starting from the CEO, is concerned with hoarding "what's mine" and getting out ASAP before the stock tanks, so that's why we have so many folks shooting for ER. They find that there is no off button on the career treadmill so the only thing they can do is to jump off.

 

[John Galt]

Hello Mark+4, BunsOfVeal, and Ted (wherever you are).

There are many reasons I "jumped" from the world of work. One had to do with my politics which I don't recall
anyone (other than myself) mentioning. In addition to all of the usual reasons, I was also making a political
statement by removing my talents from a world growing
more Orwellian daily. I have seen no slowing of this process
since I retired. For those of you who have read any Ayn Rand, my pseudonym could really not be anything else.

John Galt