|
|
Post by peachymom1 on Dec 5, 2023 1:55:34 GMT -5
What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.
Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:
Frieda (hopefully)?
Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy
And for those of you that stop by to read this thread without posting — you are welcome to, but you are also welcome to chime in. Don’t be shy!
|
|
|
|
Post by peachymom1 on Dec 5, 2023 1:57:09 GMT -5
Good morning! Since my son brought up the subject of our later years, retirement, etc., it makes me curious about how other people plan and decide about these things.
Two of my sisters have retired already, and the other one says she doesn’t want to retire at all, though she might reduce the number of clients she sees. (She’s a marriage and family therapist, and draws enormous pride and positive energy from what she does.) DH likes his work but plans to retire as soon as he turns 71; we’ve worked out how to manage the shift in income, and he’s looking forward to it very much.
As for me though, I hadn’t really thought about retirement until recently. I love my job and don’t want to stop doing it. It makes me feel useful, and I certainly appreciate the paycheck and benefits. I feel like as long as I am mentally and physically able, I do want to keep working. I can work and still have time for my own outside interests. My life is a lot less stressful now than when we were raising kids, juggling schedules, worrying about every penny and dealing with jerk bosses and such. I don’t feel like I need to retire. But I do reserve the right to change my mind, especially if I become a grandmother!
How about you? If you’re retired already, what factors led you to the decision? If you’re not retired, do you want to? When did you or will you think about it, start making plans, etc.? Was there any particular event or concept that influenced your decision or might influence it? Do you have any tips or experiences you can share?
|
|
|
|
Post by peachymom1 on Dec 5, 2023 2:17:29 GMT -5
I'm also thinking about external factors that can change the retirement decision. My company recently laid off 2,000 employees; they were given a few months of notice, and their last day was last Friday. One of these employees used to work in my department; she sent me a goodbye email last Friday. She's in her early sixties and is terrified that she won't be able to find another job. She bought a house last year and was already struggling with her finances. I feel bad for her -- that could just as easily have been me. Everything I do for my team could be done by my people themselves, so one day maybe someone will decide that they don't need me anymore.
I don't know that such a scenario would force me to retire, though. I think I'd still find a job of some kind, even if it paid less or was different from what I've done before. And if I had three months of notice to find another job, I would have gotten right on that and not waited until I had my final check to start looking (like this woman has done). I've had this job for 20 years, but I still remember that awful feeling of desperation while I was unemployed, and I hope I don't ever have to feel that again. At least this company gives a decent severance package, so there's that. :+)
|
|
|
|
Post by hollygail on Dec 5, 2023 9:38:54 GMT -5
Wow. Good for you, Peachy. Thinking in advance, making plans in advance, is great. The last full-time permanent job I had was the best job I held in my whole life. I was treated respectfully by everyone in the company, I was in charge of my own stuff, I loved what I was doing, and planned to stay there until I was about 75. Ha! The wife of the president of the company (who had gotten me the job in the first place) got jealous and he had to find a way to get rid of me. Since I also ran HR, he really had to find out what he needed to do to protect himself and the company. So he restructured the entire operation and eliminated my position. I was in my very early 60s. I felt betrayed. And helpless. The house I'd bought (where I still live) was closer to where the office was, and I bought it about a year before the real estate market dropped (so at the time I became unemployed, the amount of my outstanding mortgage was more than $100,000 higher than the tax board said my house was worth; talk about being upside down!).
At the time, the unemployment status in the US was terrible and getting worse. The government got involved and laws got passed that kept increasing the length of time someone could collect unemployment insurance. I collected for two years (and became even more thrifty than I had been, and I was never a spendthrift; moreover, I was walking once a week with one friend, and on another day with one or sometimes two other friends, plus I was going to a seniors exercise class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings right after weekday morning minyan). Two weeks after my last unemployment check, I got a phone call from the friend of a friend (whom I'd met a few times) who asked me if I was looking for work. He was involved in some sort of entrepreneurial group that helped companies needing advice (etc.). There was one not too close to where I live but it was something I'd done successfully for other companies so it was easy and paid at least more than unemployment had. It was temporary, and was supposed to last a few months (which turned into at least 8 or 9 instead of around 3) when this same friend of my friend was ready to open his own company and wanted me to work for him (which I did in a flash). Unfortunately, his business failed after about a year, but in the meantime, I learned new things and was exposed to new experiences.
And so I found myself over 65, collecting Social Security, on Medicare, and teaching more afternoons (for one or two or three different congregations in one or two or three different movements!) as well as Sunday morning at one shul and Sunday afternoon at another one.
You could say I found myself "retired" rather than I decided to retire. And I still tutor b.mitzvah students (whose parents pay me to tutor their kids) and teach at as many synagogues as I can (this year, it turns out to be only my own shul).
|
|
lee058
This space for rent
Posts: 23,285 
|
Post by lee058 on Dec 5, 2023 10:05:36 GMT -5
Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE! Please pray for Israel.
Re today's topic: Since I don't do paid work, I am financially dependent on DH. He is 60, and a federal employee. He has said he doesn't see himself retiring until he has to.
Have a peaceful day, Lee
|
|
|
|
Post by louise on Dec 5, 2023 12:36:47 GMT -5
I feel very lucky. I have a job that I love, am challenged by, and offers tremendous flexibility. I work part time or am semi-retired - what's in a name? I will turn 76 next month. I didn't have a plan but I am happy to keep working as long as I can (and as long as the company survives, which is a fear). I don't think I could find another such publishing job should the company fail but maybe I could find something else (like that part time synagogue job I found when I thought I needed it). I feel my job keeps me fresh and occupied besides being very satisfying. I am very grateful.
|
|
