76 and still working....

[eldog]

I think those that die soon after retirement must have enjoyed their job and not everyone enjoys their job up untill they retire. I have been retired 6 years and have felt no emotional shock from giving up work as the jobs that I ended up doing prior to retirement were not that pleasant.

There are periods I really enjoy my work, there are generally longer periods that I don't. I find having to rely on others can be depressing, due to the changes in attitudes in society today.

the good periods are worth it because it allows me to have a better std of living than if I lived and worked elsewhere.

[jasonu]

I think those that die soon after retirement must have enjoyed their job and not everyone enjoys their job up untill they retire. I have been retarded since birth and have felt no emotional shock from giving up work as the jobs that I ended up doing prior to retirement were not that pleasant.

hjergr;kewtgreyhrtu

[Maha]

Not full time but Dad is 80 and has just handed in his notice to finish at Xmas. He has been working 9am-1pm for a couple of years now.

He gave retirement a go 15 years ago and Mum bought him Sky TV, he sat around and watched Sky TV most of the day so Mum got rid of it and he went back to work...they have Sky again but it doesn't rule his time. He came into a great deal of money earlier this year and we told him to get out and enjoy it, hopefully that is what they'll do.

[MarkW]

In the early 1980's the company that I was the accountant for went to put all of the staff onto Southern Cross medical. The staff all filled out the forms and I gave them to the Southern Cross lady. She came back to me with a problem. One of the sheet metal workers who did 8 hours a day 4 days a week [the 5th day was his fishing day!] was 76 and was therefore too old to go onto Southern Cross. Ernie finally decided to retire just after he turned 80. As an aside, the YOUNGEST worker in the sheet metal area was 64. I have a number of clients well into their 70's who still lead full and active lives, most of which include a decent period at work each week. Stops them from getting bored most of them advise me.

[Oakie]

That's odd - I would have though he would have been given compulsory retirement at that age in that job. .

Can't enforce retirement in any job due to the Human Rights Act (discrimination on grounds of age). Military may be the only area not covered.

[Oakie]

Where I work we have just under 100 employees (full time through to casual). Our oldest is 75 and a couple more in their 70's with quite a few over 65. One of those retired a few years ago but got so sick of her family telling her what to do she came back to work full time a couple of years ago. The other side of that though is that in my time there, a couple of our over 70s got pancreatic cancer and died without even having a retirement.

My plan is to work until I'm 68. Partly because why not earn good money for a few years past 65 if you can still do the job. The reason '68' specifically is that Mrs Oakie has told me I'm not allowed to retire while she still works and as I'm 3 years older than her ... and I know she won't work a day past 65 ... that means 68 for me.

[george formby]

The previous owner of my house decided to qualify as a Doctor in his late sixties. I believe he practised for about twenty years.

A number of friends are in their 70's and still actively being full time builders, carpenters, ship wrights, engineers etc, all inspirational people.

I'm 50 in six months, a sobering thought, and embarking on a whole new career, new skill set to learn and attitudes to broaden and adjust. When not earning I'm challenging myself by improving my riding ability, I've started trials and enduro, and learning how to be a general handy man in the garden and house. I've never owned a house, garden or tools until 4 years ago. Their is a lot to learn, lol.

I'm not looking forward to retiring or stopping anything, I want to continue my life and all the new experiences it can bring. Use it or lose it. Never to old, etc.

[Akzle]

.

myself I find the older generation much more interesting than the younger ones. The stories, the can do attitude and the characters out can meet.

yeah, see, i dont put a lot of stock in "age" (except that the old people that have shaped/allowed society to develop as it has, and pushed the snowball of environmental-appocalypse off the top of the hill)

there's boring old farts, and there's boring children, and then there's many and divers interesting people of all demographs, too.
the old systems of dividing people are (always have been) irrelevant.

age is only a number, and you'll only ever be as old as (the women) you feel.

[eldog]

yeah, see, i dont put a lot of stock in "age" (except that the old people that have shaped/allowed society to develop as it has, and pushed the snowball of environmental-appocalypse off the top of the hill)

there's boring old farts, and there's boring children, and then there's many and divers interesting people of all demographs, too.
the old systems of dividing people are (always have been) irrelevant.

age is only a number, and you'll only ever be as old as (the women) you feel.

Yes, age isn't a limitation, only a yardstick for experience.

have you ever visited a rest home where they are all lined up looking out the entrance?
the 'hard to handle ones are generally drugged out'.
But you only have to start up a conversation and see the faces come alive.

while not applicable to all.

Some people like to return to work even only if part time, to get away.....

one of the places I worked at had 2 people in their late 80s turn up for work, usually just waiting for an upstart (me) to train.

[Akzle]

have you ever visited a rest home where they are all lined up looking out the entrance?
the 'hard to handle ones are generally drugged out'.
But you only have to start up a conversation and see the faces come alive.

no. i actually find that whole white "flog them for all they're worth during the productive years of their life then put them somewhere out of the way to die" attitude quite distasteful.
consequently, don't much care for rest homes.

[haydes55]

I'm 25 and still working full time. I might retire in 5 years or so.

[slofox]

...being a dog doesn't exactly provide you with a divers skillset, and if he has no hobbies to go home to... maybe his wife is really ugly, who knows. but the need/want to fill your days with (social?) interaction, meaning, is well ingrained in most (old) people. (not like these ruddy layabouts now days, sitting on their interwebs and twitting all bloody day, need a damned haircut and a real job, i say!)

Many people define themselves by their employ, he's probably pretty happy being known at the pub as "the old copper"
and when he gives that up, sure he gets the awesome retirement package, maybe a plaque at the station, a hat, but that leaves him with no identity.

time and again, i've seen old folk give up work, and die (within a statistically relevant time) whereas there's plenty of old buggers still doing the slog.

Yep. Well said. I have seen it many times over too. One school principal hung on for ages to complete his years to get his pension. He lasted four terms after retirement.

That's why I have been practicing for years to be a fucking idle lazy layabout...

[george formby]

I'm 25 and still working full time. I might retire in 5 years or so.

Hmmm, that could have merit. Live fast, die young, don't burden the system. And no need to save money which could be spent on, er, entertainment.

[eldog]

no. i actually find that whole "flog them for all they're worth during the productive years of their life then put them somewhere out of the way to die" attitude quite distasteful.
consequently, don't much care for rest homes.

Me neither, but sometimes needs must.

[eldog]

Hmmm, that could have merit. Live fast, die young, don't burden the system. And no need to save money which could be spent on, er, entertainment.

There's entertainment?