It's so different isn't it when we love our work and want to continue. Then there are the people who are not happy in work, need to continue to earn money, but lake the courage to do something else (or have had too many knock backs). I love the way my life has changed these past few years; its a different pace now with more time in nature (with owning a wood I love spending time there)
Having turned seventy this year I was drawn to a similar headline on the IMF report. It’s not surprisingly given me much to ponder. Not so much the question about work but first do the claims stand up. I was thinking about this as I walked the narrow and steep and rather dangerous mountain paths of my immediate environment with my dog on Easter Monday morning. The question I asked myself was could my late father have walked such paths at 70 my conclusion was just, but would it be something he would have done voluntarily and like me on a daily basis. My answer to that was no. Of course it’s not as simple as that is it. For one much of his later years were blighted by I’ll health Cancer being his worst affliction. Also unlike me it’s not the first thing that would have appealed to him in his later years as an enjoyable activity. Although in his fifties he was doing similar on a daily basis. Our physical activity if you compare his fifties to my seventies are very similar. Taking on new challenges heavy physical building work included. Although never particularly close, I was the middle child, I found myself when I was laying tiles on a flat roof on a very hot afternoon feeling quite close to him, aware he had followed a similar activity in similar conditions in the same climate. It didn’t occur to me then that he of course would have been in his fifties at the time. So I concluded on that admittedly flimsy evidence that perhaps the IMF report had something worth considering to say. It all of course revolves around health and how a person reacts to what it throws up.
The question I’ve been asking myself over the last few months is highly relevant to the report. Ever the optimist I have been contemplating how I intend to fill the next thirty years. Suddenly finding myself alone again unexpectedly after two long and mostly pleasant marriages the question is one I’ve been given a lot of thought to.
Thanks for taking the time for this considered reply. It’s around doing what brings us joy; for me it is less about climbing up mountain paths and more mindful walks in my wood alongside strength training in the gym (plus lots of dancing to banging tunes!)
Interesting how you compare his 50s to our 70s – is it because we have lived different lives; physical activity from choice for many rather than e.g. heavy manual work?
We can look back at our parents and we think they were old, and now we realise we are the same, if not older now.
Yes, the future – what is right for us now … sometimes thinking of another relationship; sometimes about relishing alone time, and all things in between. Maybe your mountains are like my wood, a place for deeper reflection.
Nobody should be obliged to work in dangerous or uncomfortable places. We do not need to have a long period of work.35 hours per week present in a company is largely enough.
If someone is pleased doing nothing, he can do it. This was possible in Kuwait in 1975 for Kuwaiti people, but not for foreign workers. But foreign workers, if you look at them, are poorly managed. Do not think they work hard. Most of them do it the easy way and they have a good paycheck.
I spent three months in Iran and Ahmadi near Kuwait learning technologies about drilling, logging with Schlumberger Overseas SA, the French American company which is the best. We were 19 young engineers, one of us was a Chicago Guy.
I was unable to do the job, too much electronic, everything in English, in Arabic English in fact. This job was tiring, dangerous, the country was very hot. We were 19 young engineers and only one stayed in Schlumberger and worked all his life in this tough company. Of course, we need oil and benzine, because not all cars are electric ones.
So I came back to France. I was a teacher during three months, one mistake more, and after, I worked for the French administration. Good and interesting jobs. And it was easy. And now I am retired and I have occupations without the burden to make money.
I think being able to work as long as you like into your older years is great! We should have the choice. Many find retirement boring and don't know how to spend the extra time they have. Going into a different area of work might reinvigorate them. Many others, struggling with living costs, could do with the extra money a job would bring. And yet others would rather spend their later years practising a much-loved hobby. Society's ageist narrative needs to change to enable older people to find jobs if they wish, but the point you are making is that we should have the choice, and I agree with you.
Because I love what I do continuing for as long as am effective is not age related…just assessing if still good at it!
It's so different isn't it when we love our work and want to continue. Then there are the people who are not happy in work, need to continue to earn money, but lake the courage to do something else (or have had too many knock backs). I love the way my life has changed these past few years; its a different pace now with more time in nature (with owning a wood I love spending time there)
Having turned seventy this year I was drawn to a similar headline on the IMF report. It’s not surprisingly given me much to ponder. Not so much the question about work but first do the claims stand up. I was thinking about this as I walked the narrow and steep and rather dangerous mountain paths of my immediate environment with my dog on Easter Monday morning. The question I asked myself was could my late father have walked such paths at 70 my conclusion was just, but would it be something he would have done voluntarily and like me on a daily basis. My answer to that was no. Of course it’s not as simple as that is it. For one much of his later years were blighted by I’ll health Cancer being his worst affliction. Also unlike me it’s not the first thing that would have appealed to him in his later years as an enjoyable activity. Although in his fifties he was doing similar on a daily basis. Our physical activity if you compare his fifties to my seventies are very similar. Taking on new challenges heavy physical building work included. Although never particularly close, I was the middle child, I found myself when I was laying tiles on a flat roof on a very hot afternoon feeling quite close to him, aware he had followed a similar activity in similar conditions in the same climate. It didn’t occur to me then that he of course would have been in his fifties at the time. So I concluded on that admittedly flimsy evidence that perhaps the IMF report had something worth considering to say. It all of course revolves around health and how a person reacts to what it throws up.
The question I’ve been asking myself over the last few months is highly relevant to the report. Ever the optimist I have been contemplating how I intend to fill the next thirty years. Suddenly finding myself alone again unexpectedly after two long and mostly pleasant marriages the question is one I’ve been given a lot of thought to.
Thanks for taking the time for this considered reply. It’s around doing what brings us joy; for me it is less about climbing up mountain paths and more mindful walks in my wood alongside strength training in the gym (plus lots of dancing to banging tunes!)
Interesting how you compare his 50s to our 70s – is it because we have lived different lives; physical activity from choice for many rather than e.g. heavy manual work?
We can look back at our parents and we think they were old, and now we realise we are the same, if not older now.
Yes, the future – what is right for us now … sometimes thinking of another relationship; sometimes about relishing alone time, and all things in between. Maybe your mountains are like my wood, a place for deeper reflection.
Nobody should be obliged to work in dangerous or uncomfortable places. We do not need to have a long period of work.35 hours per week present in a company is largely enough.
If someone is pleased doing nothing, he can do it. This was possible in Kuwait in 1975 for Kuwaiti people, but not for foreign workers. But foreign workers, if you look at them, are poorly managed. Do not think they work hard. Most of them do it the easy way and they have a good paycheck.
I spent three months in Iran and Ahmadi near Kuwait learning technologies about drilling, logging with Schlumberger Overseas SA, the French American company which is the best. We were 19 young engineers, one of us was a Chicago Guy.
I was unable to do the job, too much electronic, everything in English, in Arabic English in fact. This job was tiring, dangerous, the country was very hot. We were 19 young engineers and only one stayed in Schlumberger and worked all his life in this tough company. Of course, we need oil and benzine, because not all cars are electric ones.
So I came back to France. I was a teacher during three months, one mistake more, and after, I worked for the French administration. Good and interesting jobs. And it was easy. And now I am retired and I have occupations without the burden to make money.
Interesting story; and yes, we can have things to do, that give us purpose and joy and it is so freeing not to be focused on earning money
I think being able to work as long as you like into your older years is great! We should have the choice. Many find retirement boring and don't know how to spend the extra time they have. Going into a different area of work might reinvigorate them. Many others, struggling with living costs, could do with the extra money a job would bring. And yet others would rather spend their later years practising a much-loved hobby. Society's ageist narrative needs to change to enable older people to find jobs if they wish, but the point you are making is that we should have the choice, and I agree with you.
Indeed, we should be able to make choices that suit us, and be free to change our mind. I do less paid work now, but I am far more fulfilled in life.