To Hell with Retirement

[dave lackey]

Disclaimer: This is both a rant and public announcement for my own benefit. A dedication of sorts....🙂

Yeah, I know a lot of us here are retired and if that works for those who are, that is a wonderful thing. I have been "retired" for three years and I am mad as hell (to take a quote from Venchka). Forget the economy, forget the politicians/crooks, I have no time or patience for that anymore.😡

Yeah, I started out as unemployed but realized it was just a forced retirement that this country shoved me into kicking and screaming...but no more will I refer to it as either unemployment and certainly not retirement! I hate the idea of "retirement", always have. I work everyday and have worked harder the last three years than ever before! And I don't have to worry myself anymore about the immorality of real estate development and developers, but that is another topic altogether.

I am a PHOTOGRAPHER, and I will not let myself forget it. It is in every fiber of my being not as a Wal-mart portrait photographer, not as a hobbyist photographer, not as a "professional photographer" which takes many forms. It permeates my view of everything from an aesthetic appreciation of art to the way we make purchases as consumers, to the way a town is designed.

I am a selective photographer who only photographs what I want or need for a project. Why? Partly it is because I am continually evolving and need a current body of work. But it is mostly because I will not spend my time left in this world doing something I don't like and that covers more ground than not.

So, to hell with retirement and the so-called leisure life. Not for me! I prefer to make something better in this world with what I do, one day at a time. It may be that my work is donated to a family whose children are growing up and they cannot afford to pay rent, let alone get a portrait of their children. It may be a small town in need of documenting it's people and it's architectural treasures before the next re-development cycle occurs with subsequent destruction of the same.

Or, it may be a documentary on social injustice involving bi-racial and tri-racial descendants of Native Americans. A documentary that could shed light on hidden suffering. There are so many topics here that it boggles the mind.😱 But, for me, I think it immoral not to bring my skills and talents to bear on important issues, let alone not trying to make a living instead of waiting on government handouts.

These are the things that consume my thoughts and energy when I have some free time away from 24/7 caregiving. So, for me, and YMMV, this is a reaffirmation that I am worthy of contributing something to society in general rather than being put out to pasture and left to play golf or any of a myriad of self-indulging things...that is not me...:angel:... I look at the journey the rest of the way as a career change.😀

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Dave,

Well, what does 'retirement' mean? For years I've called myself 'semi-retired' and I intend to carry on that way until I'm too feeble or ga-ga to do so.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Sounds like you're saying you're an artist, though one might argue that if you're making a living from your art, and your chosen medium is photography, you are also a professional photographer. 😀

 

[paulfish4570]

when i retired, it was as a newspaper editor, not anything else.
go get 'em, dave.

 

[kshapero]

nice rant, BTW what is retirement?

 

[Nikon Bob]

I can see your point, I don't like to be forced into anything either. OTH "retirement" usually entails a pension to provide for the basics and maybe a bit more. You might feel a little different if you had that. You are right, it is a forced career changed and not "retirement" that you have undergone. It appears that you have quite a few interesting/creative avenues to explore in your new career as a photographer. The very best of luck with that endeavour.

Bob

 

[Sonnar Brian]

About a year and a half ago, one of my friend's had to stop working due to failing health. He started working at the Lab in 1943. The last of a generation.

 

[johannielscom]

Retirement is overrated anyway for people my age.

Monthly pensions are about to be lowered, retirement age will be rising to 67 by the time I'm up.

A collegue of mine is a remedial teacher of 74 and she will not give up working.

I expect to do the same. Might in time substitute teaching with some photography or even better, teaching photography!

 

[dave lackey]

Dear Dave,

Well, what does 'retirement' mean? For years I've called myself 'semi-retired' and I intend to carry on that way until I'm too feeble or ga-ga to do so.

Cheers,

R.

Indeed, definitions are important. But try as I might, I have not been able to define either unemployed or retired. It depends on perspective.

My father retired from a machinist position (after 40+ years) and basically did nothing. My wife's father did the same thing, retiring from the Atlanta based newspaper and did nothing. THAT is one perspective. Another is the real estate developer (screw the environment, the lenders and the community) who moves to Florida or the Bahamas and plays golf all day long when not having an affair with the women he meets.

As stated above, retirement from one job and moving to another is a form of retirement. It all depends.:angel: Personally, I hate the word as it has a form of stereotyping older people as "has-beens", not worthy, and...my personally most hated term...OLD SCHOOL!🙄 Stereotyping is a bad thing IMO.

But, I digress. If I have one or 6,000 days left, it won't be on a golf course and it sure won't be doing something I dislike, if I have anything resembling good health that long. And sitting around is one of those things I personally dislike.

 

[dave lackey]

About a year and a half ago, one of my friend's had to stop working due to failing health. He started working at the Lab in 1943. The last of a generation.

And THAT is the most noble of all definitions of retirement IMO.😎

 

[Bingley]

You go, Dave! Loved the rant!

 

[Dave Jenkins]

I have observed that everyone who retires, dies. So I'm not retiring.

I'm 74, and as soon as I can get my current book published, I have seven or eight more in the pipeline. I would like to do a book a year until I get them all published. By that time, I probably will have thought of several more projects.

Think young. Thinking old will kill you.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Dave,

To me, "semi-retired" means not having to haul my arse in to work every day; not having to do too many things I don't like (sure, there are still taxes and the like, and dealing with recalcitrant editors); and having just enough money to go on doing the things I want. My working is the mirror image of a price/demand curve: a need-the-money/work curve. I don't really need to earn a lot any more (no debts), so as long as I can eat and drink well, and travel a bit, and generally live reasonably comfortably, I'd rather earn little or no money doing what I want to do, rather than earning more money to buy more stuff.

On the other hand, unless my latest idea for www.rogerandfrances.com works, I'm going to jack that in too. The free/voluntary subscription model worked even worse than the part paid, part free model. Watch this space: another month or two, or, knowing my web-master, three... Yes, I could take ads, but (once again) I'd be too deep into the realms of things I don't want to do.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Ken Smith]

nice rant, BTW what is retirement?

That's how I feel. I retired from Uncle Sam's Flying Circus after 26 years, 8 months, and a handful of days. Thought I might get a relaxing job at the USPS, spend my off days here in Big Sky Country with fly rod in hand, or a camera, or a combination of the two. Plus some volunteer time at the local Rescue Mission.

Well - I've since found that the USPS has a higher ops tempo than the military with not much time for anything but work, sleep, and the occassional foray out with camera. And it's always Ground Hog Day there. But on the other hand daughter #1 is a Senior and wants to attend Stanford and daughter #2, a Junior, wants to be an astronomer and isn't sure of what University. I see college bills that must be paid. Perhaps I'll retire at 65 - yeah right!

 

[Highway 61]

I have observed that everyone who retires, dies. So I'm not retiring.

Well you're not working in the car industry as a bolts fastener nor in a giant supermarket as a manutentioner so this might explain.

So, there is retirement and retirement. It hugely depends on what you've been doing and for how long you've been doing this.

If this is not considered, this discussion is pure nonsense.

That said I hugely doubt that people spending much time at watching the Internet and posting on this forum may belong to the categories I mentioned above... 😉

 

[dave lackey]

Dear Dave,

To me, "semi-retired" means not having to haul my arse in to work every day; not having to do too many things I don't like (sure, there are still taxes and the like, and dealing with recalcitrant editors); and having just enough money to go on doing the things I want. My working is the mirror image of a price/demand curve: a need-the-money/work curve. I don't really need to earn a lot any more (no debts), so as long as I can eat and drink well, and travel a bit, and generally live reasonably comfortably, I'd rather earn little or no money doing what I want to do, rather than earning more money to buy more stuff.

On the other hand, unless my latest idea for www.rogerandfrances.com works, I'm going to jack that in too. The free/voluntary subscription model worked even worse than the part paid, part free model. Watch this space: another month or two, or, knowing my web-master, three... Yes, I could take ads, but (once again) I'd be too deep into the realms of things I don't want to do.

Cheers,

R.

I like that definition!

In regard to the new idea, I think it will be much better!🙂

 

[dave lackey]

Well you're not working in the car industry as a bolts fastener nor in a giant supermarket as a manutentioner so this might explain.

So, there is retirement and retirement. It hugely depends on what you've been doing and for how long you've been doing this.

If this is not considered, this discussion is pure nonsense.

That said I hugely doubt that people spending much time at watching the Internet and posting on this forum may belong to the categories I mentioned above... 😉

I think Dave meant that more as tongue-in-cheek...🙂 In both our families' cases, it was true. In others, not.😉

BTW, I am not ranting against retirement, just retirement as defined in self-indulgence whilst sitting around the rest of my life as if the world owed me anything. I am not worthy of anyone owing me anything and as I said, I hate to sit around!:angel:

Looking at it from an angler's standpoint, there are only so many trout I can/want to harrass!😛

 

[farlymac]

Forced retirement can be a good thing, but not without caveats. Sure, I have plenty of time to do what I want photographically, and can just do it on a moments notice, instead of having to wait for the weekend or a special event.

But the reduced income is cramping my style a bit. Cost of film and developement, upkeep/repairs on the equipment, and the fact that being on disability limits any possibility of making additional income.

So I do it for the art of it, and to keep myself engaged in the world. I like to fix up castaway p&s cameras from Goodwill to see what kind of quality construction was put into them, and maybe find one with good optics. That allows me to keep my repair skills intact, and kills a lot of time, too.

I don't intend to just wither away, as I need to be in decent shape when I do finally get to 'retire' at 66.

PF

 

[ndnik]

But on the other hand daughter #1 is a Senior and wants to attend Stanford and daughter #2, a Junior, wants to be an astronomer and isn't sure of what University.

Ken (off topic),

I am a professional astronomer. I used to work in the US (at UT Austin). If your daughter wants advice, feel free to contact me. In one line, my best advice would be to forget astronomy until grad school and choose the best physics undergrad program she can get into. Best, here, does not mean ivy-league or most expensive.

 

[oftheherd]

... Another is the real estate developer (screw the environment, the lenders and the community) who moves to Florida or the Bahamas and plays golf all day long when not having an affair with the women he meets.
...

Well Dave, why don't you tell us how your really feel about real estate developers? 😀

I don't feel a desire to retire right now either, despite my wife's entreties and demands. But maybe in a year or two. I also don't want to take a chance of just vegetating. So I like your intention to put into effect the trite saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

Brian Sweeney - What a treat it must have been to chat with your co-worker from the dark room. So much knowledge and experience he must have acquired.