I am weeks away from my 65th birthday, have more passion for work than I had twenty years ago and am creating a vision of a new life. There is a voice in my head saying 65 is when you leave work, go fishing, play golf and travel; eat breakfast with friends while younger people drive to work. You sit on a bench by the sea and do what you want. Medicare kicks in at 65 but I have to wait another year for social security. Each milestone calls out. They point in one direction while I follow Robert Frost’s "The Road Less Travelled." My path is guided by an inner compass. It points forward. There are some shifts in focus; visible to a few people, no denial of the aging process, a little more internal freedom and a stronger desire to see real change in my lifetime.
Like many of my generation, I know the excuses for delaying progress and no longer trust those who want to go slow while others suffer through hunger, disease, persecution and unemployment.
Born in 1945, I am of a cohort of post-war baby boomers. Many have left the office, factory or school, grateful of good pension systems, vested rights, decades on the job and decent health insurance. They won their lottery. Others lost. The work world they knew is over. Pensions were lost or stolen by their company, trust betrayed and healthcare expenditures take food off their tables. Many are sitting “on the bench” but it is due to layoffs; not near an ocean as gasoline prices keep them home. We need to help all who have lost out in this economy if we want to claim ours is a great nation.
I am fortunate to love my job and even more to have one. This economy is an incentive to stay employed but I would continue anyway. Each of us walks a personal path. For those who have a choice retirement may call them to a new dream, for more time with family, while for others it is a loss of identity. The economics are personal. No one else can sort that out for us but the dignity of work is important. My reflections are not offered as a prescription. I hope they encourage others to think of what works for them, look at their work history and determine what they want now.
My work world began as a caddy, into the military, at a college in New York City, across the country to a community-based agency in San Diego, back East into state government, outside founding a non profit, back into state government, ten years as a consultant and the past ten with the labor movement. Robert Frost’s famous poem often applied to my life. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I chose the one less travelled by.” There were also times when my path was chosen for me. I did not always volunteer. I did respond, however, making the best of a bad situation. Most of us do. It did not matter if I was a victim. I had a family to feed. A few times I created my own hell and at other times I came up for air. They were not all good decisions but most of them were mine.
So I sit here about to become Medicare eligible, one year before Social Security. Their siren calls beckon but I sail beyond those shores. Why? I lead an organization that serves working families in the middle of an economic hurricane. We do good work; make a difference; help in large and small ways. It is real and soul satisfying. Organized labor and our strategic partners have supported WDI through our storms. We have the honor of giving back. Our work is meaningful, challenging and never boring. I draw energy from creative relationships. I am less worried about how long I live and more concerned with how.
I am not alone. Many of us complain about having to work but it would be hell if we were denied that opportunity. The need for money is real for all of us. The need for purpose is equally strong. I have more health concerns today but they will not be addressed with more “free” time. I will continue to work guided by a transition strategy which includes more writing, speaking, mentoring and succession planning. I have long believed that when a leader assumes authority he or she should be thinking of their exit; what will be left behind and what skills will be needed next. I wanted to build statewide and regional capacity in support of unions and working families. We are building that. When I retire someone with new skills will emerge to take WDI to the next level. A healthy business adapts to a changing environment. WDI would not have grown to where we have if we had not adapted. Obviously, we would have gone nowhere without support from Denis Hughes, the NYS AFL-CIO; organized labor across the state, government leaders, our strategic partners, WDI’s board, staff and the working families we serve. I get to both lead and follow.
Retirement is more about renewal than endings. In a few months I will become an “elder”. That is a role that I "retire" into and continue working. I wonder how others from my generation view reaching these milestones.
Can you share your experience and vision with us?
