How to Retire—or Not
Being who I am, I have beyond a polite interest in what people do for a living and just how they got there. And people are always eager to share their stories. Some are a real inspiration to me. Take Jack for instance. I took a seat beside him in an intensive training geared mostly for small business owners who are current users of QuickBooks. As I sat down at a computer workstation, the gentleman beside me smiled broadly and immediately introduced himself. I couldn’t help but note that he was considerably older than most of the others in the room. It was hard to imagine that at his age he would have any comfort level around a computer, let alone be enhancing computer- based financial skills. Was I in for a surprise!
At age 70, Jack has been on a journey that has taken him through a number of careers and he’s not ready to get off the path yet! After 21 years in the Marine Corp he retired at a respectable rank and like many military men went back to work—but not just to a job. He became a “vetpreneur”, buying his own rig and contracting to haul with a local trucking company until 10 years down the road (literally) a physician ordered him to stop for health reasons. But that didn’t keep Jack-Be-Nimble down for long. Along the way he had finished his high school education (forgot to tell you he joined the Marines as a drop out), decided to enter a training program for law enforcement and then became a full-time special deputy for another 18 years. It was an exciting (I’d translate that stressful) career with one of his four sons as his boss, but finally it seemed time to slow down again and do more with his beloved wife of over 40 years. They got a camper to see some of the country, then traded that in on a motorcycle for their trekking (yep, she rode on back). Life was great, but the fun was short-lived. After she passed away, Jack decided he needed something to do again.
So here he was sitting beside me at the next computer, not just for fun, but as an employee of a local housing agency. Jack works in the financial office (always did love numbers!) about 20 hours a week on a flexible schedule, a job he’s had for almost a year now. “First job I ever really loved to come to work,” he beamed. “It gives me something to do and keeps my mind active, plus it’s nice to have the extra income for vacations.” Does Jack plan to “retire” again soon? “Why would you want to!” he asks incredulously.
I hope I can be as exhuberant and productive as Jack a few more years down the road.
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