I read a story this week that I cannot unfortunately find that talked about how, regardless of the age at which people retire, they seem to have a similar set of circumstances. First off, most of them go back to work, not necessarily for pay but to have something to do. Secondly, when they stop contributing to society, they doom themselves to a fixed and consistent life span.
Although many of my peers may argue for the ignoble ease of a luxurious retirement and for how much they enjoy leisure, when you stop being useful you die. There is no happiness without service and sacrifice, and without serving a useful purpose to others, the body and the soul seem to break down. Our soul knows full well for what end it was created- to be a boon in the lives of others.
Some of the worst time in my life was when I was unemployed. Aside from the browbeating I took from family for my sloth and from my significant other for not bringing home bread, I really didn't know why I got up. I actively sought work, and I took the first thing that came along, despite its intense physical demands. I found that, regardless of how physically exhausted I felt, I slept well and felt my day had purpose.
I've never had a problem working for a living. I like to be useful, to have purpose, which is in truth part of why I do these articles every day so that my day demands something of me.
When my grandfather retired from pharmacy and the school at which he volunteered cut him from their list, he took a huge turn for the worst. We all thought it was Parkinsons, which turned out not to be the case, but he no longer moves either physically or mentally with the acuity I knew of him just a few years prior. He really lost to a large degree his sense of purpose, and some of his other senses shut down on him.
By contrast, I remember the junior high principal in Florida who, in his sixties, was the oldest Triathlon champion in his class. He lived just down the street, and in the morning when I saw him, he was always running or biking, rain or shine, and in tip top condition. He had a purpose, a goal, a direction. Although I haven't read it, I know a Purpose-Driven Life offers much more of the satisfaction and wealth than the empty, unsatisfying lives of the snobbish elite. Not that there's anything wrong with wealth, simply with how you use what you have.
I left my physically-demanding job because I knew my body couldn't handle it for 30 years. I often look at UPS drivers and wonder how much they NEED UPS's great healthcare due to the physical strain on their bodies. However, I prefer to waste and wear out my life doing something that matters than go to waste, even if the things I choose to do don't actually bear any fruit.
Although many of my peers may argue for the ignoble ease of a luxurious retirement and for how much they enjoy leisure, when you stop being useful you die. There is no happiness without service and sacrifice, and without serving a useful purpose to others, the body and the soul seem to break down. Our soul knows full well for what end it was created- to be a boon in the lives of others.
Some of the worst time in my life was when I was unemployed. Aside from the browbeating I took from family for my sloth and from my significant other for not bringing home bread, I really didn't know why I got up. I actively sought work, and I took the first thing that came along, despite its intense physical demands. I found that, regardless of how physically exhausted I felt, I slept well and felt my day had purpose.
I've never had a problem working for a living. I like to be useful, to have purpose, which is in truth part of why I do these articles every day so that my day demands something of me.
When my grandfather retired from pharmacy and the school at which he volunteered cut him from their list, he took a huge turn for the worst. We all thought it was Parkinsons, which turned out not to be the case, but he no longer moves either physically or mentally with the acuity I knew of him just a few years prior. He really lost to a large degree his sense of purpose, and some of his other senses shut down on him.
By contrast, I remember the junior high principal in Florida who, in his sixties, was the oldest Triathlon champion in his class. He lived just down the street, and in the morning when I saw him, he was always running or biking, rain or shine, and in tip top condition. He had a purpose, a goal, a direction. Although I haven't read it, I know a Purpose-Driven Life offers much more of the satisfaction and wealth than the empty, unsatisfying lives of the snobbish elite. Not that there's anything wrong with wealth, simply with how you use what you have.
I left my physically-demanding job because I knew my body couldn't handle it for 30 years. I often look at UPS drivers and wonder how much they NEED UPS's great healthcare due to the physical strain on their bodies. However, I prefer to waste and wear out my life doing something that matters than go to waste, even if the things I choose to do don't actually bear any fruit.
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