Let’s Get Creative and Strike the word “retirement” from Our Mindset.
Society’s need to fit octagonal pegs into square holes is archaic.
Let’s consider what society deems as the next stage of life beyond a structured job or career. The word commonly used for this next stage is “Retirement”. If you look at the definition of the word retire, it means to rest, to go to sleep, to withdraw from circulation, to go away, to remove from active service and the list goes on.
Sounds like a death sentence.
Historically, when people officially retired, it was too late to enjoy the next stage of their life. They were worn out from working too hard which often resulted in poor physical and/or mental health. Making a living and supporting their families financially took priority over caring for themselves. Once retired, many were lost, left to roam the confines of their homes with no idea what to do without the purpose of their livelihood.
It’s a damn sad commentary of what has always been touted as the “American Dream”. Hell of a dream where our existence outside of work and work-related productivity are not seen as equals. I’m sure you know people who have died shortly after retiring. So was all that hard work worth it?
