Stop asking me “WHEN?”
When I was a kid, my parents would ask me, “When are you going to stop being so emotional?” It actually took 6 years of therapy. But today, I consider myself pretty chill about most things — other than my late-in-life passion — Politics. Don’t get me started!
When I was in my 20s, people would ask me, “When are you going to get married?” When I finally met the right guy, we actually decided to get married on our first date. And years and years later, we are still very happily married.
When I was in my 30s, everyone would ask me, “When are you going to have a baby?” As it turned out, we couldn’t have children. I am a DES daughter, and my husband is a DES son. Double whammy on infertility. We made a different life.
When I was in my 40s, my mother would constantly ask me “When are you going to stop with the horses?” I actually rode horses from the time I was 12 years old until just about 3 years ago. I gave it up sadly. Long story.
Now a day doesn’t go by without someone — a friend, a neighbor, a casual acquaintance, the guy in the post office — asking me “When are you going to retire?” Even my mother, who now has advanced Alzheimer’s in her few lucid moments seems to be able to remember to ask me the latest in a long line of When question. So obviously it’s top of mind. Right up there with — what are you doing with your hair?
When questions are generally associated with time: When were you born? When does the movie start? When will you be there? When will I see you again?
And there are lots of well-known When idioms — also connected to time. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. When I’m good, I’m very good. But When I am bad, I’m better (attributed to May West). When they go low — we go high. (Thank you, Michelle Obama). Time flies When you’re having fun.
When life give you lemons — you know what to do with them.
People — other than me — tend to retire When they:
1. Want the freedom to pursue their passions.
2. Are sick of working or commuting.
3. Want to travel.
4. Find it hard to keep up with all the changes in technology.
5. Have health issues.
None of the above apply to me.
I subscribe to the Okinawan way — one of the healthiest and longest living societies on earth. They have a word called ikigai. Loosely translated, it means “the reason you get up in the morning.” My ikigai is working. In fact, I’m a workaholic. There’s nothing I hate more than the week between Xmas and New Year’s when everyone is on vacation — except of course — me. It makes me incredibly cranky and un-fun to be around. Ask my husband.
I love running my own branding agency. I love my team — people who have great ideas and are amazingly fun to work with. These days, I’m feeling more productive, more creative and technically proficient than ever. I don’t have to commute. I don’t like traveling. (I miss my dogs too much). And I don’t have any health issues — knock wood. In fact, I took up CrossFit pre-Covid and am addicted to it. I also love writing. And if you are reading this, you see I definitely have the freedom to pursue my passions.
There’s also some good research that shows that working longer increases successful life expectancy. Emphasis on the word successful.
The wonderful and ever-wise Karen Sands, MCC,BCC, Leading GeroFuturist-Longevity Economy-Ageless Aging 4 Evolving Visionary Trailblazers-Author-Speaker-Blogger — who I love to quote, writes: “When it comes to our dreams and our ability to reinvent ourselves and make a difference in our world, our age is not a weakness but a strength. We now have the experience, the wisdom, and the focus on what really matters that we need to live our true potential, to reimagine our lives, and to change the world in unimaginable ways.”
So, the simple answer to the question When will I retire is — When hell freezes over! In other words — Never. I want to continue building my agency. I want to challenge myself creatively. I want to make new Everlusting, the brand I recently Co-Founded with my business partner, a huge success.
And as the saying goes. If not now, When….?
