Retirement

My dad retired in January this year who is now 65. Actually, he already had his "first" retirement 6 years ago. Having rested for a year, he grumbled retirement life was too dull, so he job-hunted again and found a decent but demanding job in a very big cleaning company to work as a supervisor. His leadership was good but he had to work long hours. Anyway, he enjoyed the job but as time went by, he said that the workload was too overwhelming for him. Hence, he decided to step down this year and went to the States with my mom for 1 month. He is pretty laid back now and can sleep in as he wishes.

My mom just retired last month. She didn't want to but she had no choice because of some workplace politics that she couldn't cope with! Well, I said to her one day, 'It's time to step down though you don't wish to because you're 60.' She complained some of her ex-colleagues said some nasty words to her and made her feel hurt. I explained, 'If you get angry with these meaningless words, your EQ is not really high. Though you are the no. 1, people still speak behind your back.' She then told me she didn't want to step down in an ungraceful way. Then, I assured, 'Retirement life is not at all terrible. Now, you have more free time to talk to dad and you can go swimming together. If you feel bored, go shopping and watch Korean DVDs.'

What I learn from parents' retirement is that if we plan to retire or are about to reach the retirement age, we need to 'prepare' for life after our retirement. Without careful planning, it's hard for anyone to transit from hectic to tranquil life. Participating in community and contributing to society would be a way out for all retirees. My mom called me this morning and said she wanted to further her studies in an elderly community college. Why not?