Unretirement in 2022 and Other Fresh Ideas

Our whole lives, we’ve been fed a story. Go to school, get a good job, raise a family — and then when you’re 65, you can retire and do what you want. 

Take a moment to think about how crazy that sounds. And yet, that’s the script most people live by. 

AARP, originally the acronym for the American Association of Retired Persons, realized that name was no longer relevant and dropped the name, keeping the acronym for branding purposes.  

Retirement is no longer relevant.  At least not for me.  Can’t afford it, don’t want it.  

I’d rather keep my mind and body working…in sync with one another.  Keeping one active benefits the other, and vice versa.  Writing makes my brain work hard.  Riding my trike keeps my body working hard…and helps my brain too.  

While I’m not working full time anymore, I stay busy with a freelance writing business that’s rewarding and fulfilling. I focus on writing about adaptive recreation for those of us with physical challenges.   

I like the flexibility of being able to work from wherever I choose whether it’s at home or at my favorite coffee shop.  All I need is my laptop and a project.   

Flexibility at work is a concept that’s been forced on us by the pandemic, which just won’t go away.  It’s déjà vu, all over again.  Here it is 2022 and we’re still wearing masks.  Schools are shutting down again and hospitals are struggling to provide care.   

Yes, vaccinations have helped, but not enough people are getting vaccinated and the Covid virus keeps mutating into different strains, like the current Omicron variant, which is more contagious than ever.  

There are those who say mask mandates are going to far.  What’s the alternative?   Drop the masks, get infected and then spread it around? Doesn’t make sense to me.  

I have a daughter with an autoimmune disease and she can’t be vaccinated.  I’m not going to risk infecting her, so I’ll be wearing a mask, getting boosted, washing hands and whatever else I need to do to protect her. 

Here’s a fresh idea: how about we follow the advice of every physician out there and get vaccinated, boosted and wear a mask?  Civil liberties don’t include spreading disease. 

Okay, I’ll step down off the soapbox.   

Getting back to unretirement, if you’re one of those lucky souls who has all the financial resources you’ll ever need, there’s a huge need for volunteer help in all areas.  After all, how many rounds of golf can you play in one week?  Or how many ski runs can you make…even if you have the wallet and legs to support it?  

AARP’s website has a huge listing of volunteer causes, many that can be done safely at home.  I know firsthand that adaptive recreation organizations like the National Ability Center and Wasatch Adaptive Sports need year-round volunteers. Schools will need substitute teachers when they resume regular classroom attendance. Bonus: substitute teachers get paid while providing a great service. 

Let’s hope and pray that Omicron and all of its related variants can be vanquished sooner than later.  It breaks my heart to see how many ICU’s are full of Covid victims or watch my 17-year-old granddaughter heading to school with a mask on.  It just hurts the soul.  

Sometimes hope and optimism are all we have to keep us going.  I think we’re there. Onward.  

Adaptive recreation providers like Wasatch Adaptive Sports need volunteers.

 

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