What is Retirement? Through the Eyes of Different People

One day, my friendly neighbor's two chattering grandchildren shouted to me across the fence. Kenny said "Auntie, auntie, my grandpapa has retired."

As Kenny was only four, I wondered what he understood by 'retirement'.

"What is retirement?" I asked.

"Retired is to stay at home and play with me everyday." Kenny answered without hesitation.

"No, no, Kenny is wrong; he is too little to know. Grandpapa is staying at home to rest." Five year old Annie looked at me with her big round eyes and answered like any wise elder sister would.

Is there a difference between resting and playing with one's grandchildren? I wondered.

Since then, I have been posing the same question to many different age groups, and compared the different opinions I got from them.

My eight year old niece answered, "After retirement you have very little money to use. Uncle Ben is retired. Mummy told me not to ask him to buy chocolate anymore."

Ten year old Danny thought for a moment, then answered as a matter of fact, "Well, it's like your boss fired you because you are too old, and cannot run fast anymore..."

The teenagers have their own way of thinking. Sixteen year old Gin Lim said cheerfully, "Let's say one will be getting pay without having to work ...." His father is a government servant and he is on pension.

"But it's like you are not useful anymore!" His elder sister Yen Lian thought otherwise.

"That's true too. Mother often asked him to go out and get another job." Gin Lim agreed with his sister.

"That is because he didn't know what to do at home. He nagged around mother, or else he sleeps the whole day." Yen Lian explained. She was definitely on her mother's side.

True, many women find their retired husbands a hindrance to their normal lifestyle.

Those over twenty-year-olds thought of other things, they came out with answers like,

"That means too old to work or enjoy life!"

"They are the tax-payers' burdens!"

"They become sick more often after they retired"

"They've got nothing to talk about other than the aches and pains all over their bodies."

"People can die faster if they retire and are not doing anything."

My sister-in-law and a mother of three school going kids replied, "Retirement means I can sleep as much as I want, then wake up to cook a proper meal for the kids."

The hen-pecked Mr. Hung answer, "Retirement means I'd lose my freedom completely. I hate the coming of that disaster!"

My sickly Aunt Amy admitted, "I thought about retiring early for health reasons. However my retirement means poverty to my family. I couldn't deprive my children and opt for early retirement."

My former headmaster once told me, "Retirement for me is when I think I have finished my share of work. When I have done all that I planned to do. My duty is done, and that's it. The rest of the work is up to my successor to carry on. If I insist on continuing, perhaps I'd do more bad than good. That will spoil my good reputation built throughout the years." I hope the overstayed politicians and parliament members can share his philosophy.

A sentimental friend Rita is going to retire next year, she answered longingly, "Retirement is a time to enjoy my golden years; I will spend time as I wish and make up for all the time lost in the office."

An unmarried relative answered my question sadly, "Honestly retirement means a nursing home or an old folks home and a wheelchair for me."

However not all unmarried people are pessimistic. Uncle Tam smiled and said, "When I am retired, I'll move to a retirement village and enjoy the care facilities available. I am easily satisfied. There shouldn't be any problem at all."

People who are pessimistic think of retirement as the end of life; whereas people who are optimistic think of it as a beginning of a new life.

My husband laughed at my question, "Well retirement is when I can choose to sleep all day, watch TV, play golf with my son, do sudoku or gardening as I choose."

My husband's boss is eighty years old. In spite of his age and wealth, he still goes to office every day. When I asked him, "When do you intend to retire, sir?"

He was obviously displeased and answered, "Retire? For what reason do I need to retire? Balik Kampung dan tunggu matikah?" The last remark is in Malay, when translated means 'Return to the village and wait for death?'

If one searches the web, the only word that links with the word 'retirement' seems to be 'financial'. People talk about retirement plans from the financial point of view, they also talk about issues like social security; retirement service credit; retirement budget; retirement accounts and many more, but all leads to the financial status of a retiree. What about the psychology aspect of the retirees? , What about the caring factor from the society? Well, this is really some food for thought for all of us.