One lovely lady in particular is looking forward to her "golden years". She has so many plans, and is generally a busy person. Retirement will not be a "rest" for her, the way it is for other people.
Retirement, though a few years away for me yet, makes me feel a little...
...anxious/nervous/insecure/apprehensive?
Of course, as previously blogged, I do have a fear of being dead. I suppose retirement is a formal transitional phase, bringing your life one step closer to the end of your life. But it's more than this.
Work, for me, even though at times not being my favourite aspect of life, brings many benefits.
Pensions, generally, do not pay as well as a full time wage. So life needs to be a compromise for many people at this time of life.
Then there is the social aspect. Again, I don't always like the people I work with. But that is Okay. Having the chance of speaking to different people, sharing opinions, discussing life and the world, while working towards a shared goal (surviving til the end of your working day in one piece), is something we tend to take for granted. Isolation in old age is well documented. What's worse than being old? Being old and alone.
Yikes.
Working also dictates structure, to your day and to your life. People arrange such things as childcare, parties and meals around their job. So what happens when you no longer have a job? If you are not disciplined, or if you do not have a full enough life, your days can easily become a blur, and bleed into each other.
Double Yikes.
So I suppose I have a fear of not having enough in my life when I am 70 (yeah, I know - why wait til I am 70, I need a life now!).
I was pleased to see that there are plans for play parks for pensioners. I am laughing as I write this. I think it is lovely. I also think it has such scope for comedy.They should do a sit-com about it.
Such a play park has been built in Manchester, UK, costing £15,000. It is aimed at people 70 and over. Equipment has been provided, that will help older people exercise, keep supple and strong. It also brings people together, helping to maintain that social aspect mentioned above.
Have the powers that be thought this through? What will be their management strategies for the 70 year old rebel that spray paints -
" ARCHIBALD
WIZ
'ERE!" ?And what happens when the "cool" pensioners team up and take the old pensioners' money and false teeth off them?
But seriously, it is a lovely idea. I hope it works out. It might make retirement less scary for those of us who worry about such things.
2 comments:
What a gorgeous idea. I hope the swings and slides are padded though - otherwise it's a recipe for lots of broken hips!
Perhaps it is a sneaky way to reduce the OAP population, and so the increasing costs and difficulties associated with it.
I want one here. I love the swings. But I can't play on them here. I don't have kids, and a grown man playing in a swing park would raise eyebrows. I might just have to invest in a swing in my back yard...
Meant to say Kelly, love the tour of your home on your blog. It is beautiful. I haven't been to IKEA here yet, so might go soon.
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