I just turned 60. Since I turned 55, internet ads, spam, and snail mail have been full of tips about how to retire. And I had generally expected that one day I would be able to retire. Not for a while, but eventually.
I didn't consider whether I actually wanted to retire. When Joan Rivers died, lots of attention was given to the fact that at 81 she was as busy as ever. She had no desire to retire when she was already doing what she loved.
Retirement started out as a way to get old employees who could no longer handle the physical labor to get out of the way of new and younger employees.
Well, I work with my mind. As long as I can think and can type, I'm good. And when I started with the company, they had a 78-year-old developer. Obviously, the company isn't averse to older employees.
I sat down to consider what I would gain if I retired? What do I want to do when I retire?
Read? I do that now. I could read more, but I already read a book a week.
Travel? I could do that now. I don't because I don't like to leave my fur babies behind. So logically, travel isn't that important to me.
Sleep in? I can set my own hours now. I don't sleep in because I don't like the later morning traffic.
Volunteer? Sure, I could do more, but Bogie and I volunteer now.
So far, there isn't an overriding reason to retire.
What would I lose if I retired? Well, income, of course. But more importantly, the interaction with people and the challenges that keep my mind sharp. I look forward to my weekends because they are different than my weekdays.
For now, I think my focus isn't going to be on retirement. It's going to be on enjoying my job for as long as I can.
Update -
Apparently I'm not the only one not hurrying to retirement. Washington Post
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