New Things
As I age, I find myself thinking about aging. I don't like dwelling on things related to my own life but I can't help wondering whether I'm aging faster or slower than others, whether others have useful thoughts to share, whether I'm the only one thinking about this topic. It's no surprise, then, that I avidly read about a recent survey of the topic conducted by a bank. Among other things, the survey found one common global feeling: No one wants to retire any more, at least in the traditional sense. The old desire to sit in a cottage by a lake and die slowly in an armchair is gone. As people can expect longer lives, they want more productive lives, lives that continue to contribute to others. The biggest fear identified by the study is the fear of becoming unwilling to try new things.
The study matches my own experience. No one I know wants to retire. Many want to
try new things, to keep going, to contribute in different ways but no one wants
to sit around occupied entirely by leisure, as our parents and grandparents used
to. We
may face declining energy, we may be weakened by our life history but we
continue to look for new things to do, new ways to contribute.
The problem often comes when younger, less experienced people look at us and think we're too old. These naive youngsters don't see the value of experience, fail to recognize our value, believe that physical weakness somehow leads to mental weakness. It's up to us to demonstrate that we still have the energy, the skill and the desire to contribute so that we avoid being put on the shelf, being forced to stultify, losing our desire to produce.
If you're older, keep going, keep trying, keep looking for new things. If you're younger, recognize that there is value to experience and that we have a lot of energy left. We'll all benefit.
7-10-06
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