To the Editor:
Re “Staying Sharp After Retiring Is Its Own Job” (entrance web page, March 28):
It’s not shocking to me that analysis has discovered that retirement can result in a rise in despair and cognitive decline. After I retired from educating, emptying my workplace and sorting by 50 years of sophistication notes felt extra like grieving than celebrating, at the same time as individuals backslapped me with “Congratulations in your retirement!”
This newspaper’s day by day obituaries of achieved individuals convinces me how a lot work issues in our lives; so many profile the terribly lengthy lives of people that labored with ardour effectively into outdated age.
Whereas retirement has its blessings, like not worrying about trivial work-related issues that preserve you up at evening, one thing tells me that in case you love what you do, it’s not a foul concept to keep it up.
Cathy Bernard
New York
To the Editor:
Coming into my eighth yr of retirement, having left work on the comparatively younger age of 60, I can state that it’s difficult to remain sharp mentally, however simply carried out if that’s the case desired.
First off, numerous my fellow retiree vacationers, exhausted mentally from difficult work roles, typically search purposely to retreat. For them, fixed golf, tennis and the like are simply advantageous.
However the bulk of retired people I do know just about observe recommendation that I obtained earlier than retirement, which was to set one’s retirement life into three phases — the “go go,” “go sluggish” and “no go” years — and act accordingly.
Because of this, the entrance finish of my retirement turned a sequence of hectic travels, together with to Bhutan, Africa, Tahiti and Bora Bora.
However as grandchildren arrive, so do completely different priorities, with journey changing into much less crucial and sometimes. Being near dwelling allowed extra time for favored nonprofit work; being on the board of an Off Broadway theater; extra involvement in my earlier career, accounting; an appointed place on a state board; and just lately an advisory position at a higher-level academic establishment.
Retirement is a continuing work in progress. I inform my pals what I advised our youngsters as soon as they have been sufficiently old to complain about their rearing: No person gave me a handbook for this; I’m simply winging it as greatest as I can and hoping for the very best. They turned out fairly OK. I’m hoping the identical goes for retirement.
Joseph P. Petito
Bethesda, Md.
To the Editor:
Sorry, however I encourage to vary with the tone and content material of your article. I used to be lucky to retire at age 61 from a banking job that I didn’t look after in any respect however pursued for monetary causes for about three many years.
“Liberation Day” got here in Could 2017, after I was lastly capable of give up my job because of enough financial savings that might be forecast to final for a minimum of 30 years of retirement.
I’ve by no means been happier in my life since retiring, spending time with our beloved little canine, studying and studying an incredible quantity, and pursuing my passions within the arts, together with taking part in a musical instrument, and brushing up on my favourite overseas language, Spanish.
I’d wholeheartedly advocate retirement to anybody who has many pursuits outdoors work and might afford to take action.
Over the last decade of my working life, I used to be on varied psychiatric medication simply to get me by the day. However six months after my retirement, I give up taking these medication and haven’t wanted them since then.
My private conclusion: Viva retirement!
Peter Dallos
Sea Cliff, N.Y.
To the Editor:
Your article concerning the cognitive challenges of retirement struck a chord with me.
I retired seven years in the past at 70½ with out due consideration of what comes subsequent. I ought to have been forewarned.
When my minister father handed away, certainly one of his fellow retirees (additionally a former minister) famous how the 2 of them got here to see retirement as a sluggish and prolonged defrocking. I failed to understand how apt a metaphor defrocking was even for these not known as to the ministry: In retirement we lose the rituals of an employed life as effectively its attendant measures of energy, stature and recognition.
I want I’d learn this text again then and brought its recommendation to suppose these points by earlier than retiring. At the least then I wouldn’t have needed to spend a lot time refrocking.
Greg Rathjen
Milton, Ga.
