I have been through the process of living in a post-career environment, and I know it can be unsettling. But in the course of my work, I don't rely only on my own experience or only on formal research reports.
I have also talked to literally hundreds of post-career Americans engaged in post-career work, such as:
- a part-time barista at Starbucks,
- entrepreneurs who have started new business ventures…some even exporting to overseas markets;
- a volunteer soccer coach for a girls' soccer team,
- paid consultants in a variety of jobs – from knowledge workers to blue collar workers,
- a part-timer who sacks groceries at a Safeway…and another who ferries Hertz rental cars to airports,
- a SCORE volunteer one day week,
- the chairman of the lay council of a local parish – a job that consumes about 15 hours a week; and others.
Nearly all described themselves as "retired" though not one had withdrawn, taken leave, or retreated from the action and passions of life.
Unfortunately, we do not yet have a language to describe people who continue to be fully engaged in life, including work, after they leave their careers…and words like "retirees," "oldsters," "elders" and the like don't work. This is amazing when you stop to consider that we have good studies based on reliable data to indicate that as many as two-thirds to three-fourths (66% to 75%) of later-life Americans want and expect to continue to work in their post-career years.
The Bonus Years Living blog is designed to show the cultural transformation that is taking place in America. This is a result of the remarkable determination of so many later-life Americans to remain engaged in work that will allow them to continue to use their gifts of time, treasure and talent to help others and repair the world.
We also invite those in the larger community to submit their own stories or to tell us about inspiring stories they have encountered in their family, neighborhood, or other venue where later-life Americans can be found fully engaged in the world of work. If you have ideas along these lines, please leave us a message: Contact Us.
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