By James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D.
There were several older men and women in my neighborhood as a child. Looking back, they moved a little slower and talked about things we did not understand. They were sedentary and stayed close to home most of the time.
They were fulfilled, happy and were pillars in our community. Their sage wisdom carried a lot of weight and their opinions mattered. I am proud to say I gained a lot of advice and counsel from them.
As youth, we were forming our thoughts about life and our place in it. Maturing in a small community in Winston-Salem NC gave us a first-hand view of the different stages of adult- hood.
As I was coming of age in the East Winston section of our city, I heard words and terms like retirement, savings, down payment, layaway, travel and house payment. Quite honestly, while I heard these words and terms, I really did not connect the dots.
Some of my friends’ grand- parents did not work anymore. I did not ask what they were doing now. My view of the world would not permit me to ask that question. So, they did not work and that was the end of it.
Being in high school made me a bit more inquisitive. My friends and I would talk among ourselves and concluded that they had successful careers and had provided for their families.
As young boys, we enjoyed hearing the stories they told.
Their expressions and tones in their voices made us sit still and have what I called “instant story time”. I called them this be- cause they were never planned. They just happened.
During my working life as I progressed, I did begin to think about retirement. I realized that I did not want to work forever. Much before I retired, I heard a song by Kenny Rogers called “The Gambler”. A part of the lyrics is you have to know when to hold them and know when to walk away. In a strange yet realistic way, it is a retirement song.
You really do need to know when to retire and walk away. You do not want to stay too long and be asked to leave. Leaving on your own set of terms and conditions is always the preferred choice. Having people wanting you to remain means that you did your job well.
It is not if the time comes to retire, it’s simply when the time comes. Upon retiring, you must have something else to do. Sitting around for a few months gets old after a while. Sitting around could become harmful to your health. On the surface, that sounds a bit odd that doing nothing could be bad for you.
The mind is like a well-oiled machine. Thinking and doing make the brain more productive. It keeps it fresh and not stale.
According to reports, “there are roughly 62 million adults ages 65 and older living in the USA accounting for 18% of the population. By 2054, 84 million adults ages 65 and older will make up an estimated 23% of the population”.
According to Lincoln Re- search, “only 11% of pre-retirees claim to have planned for their post-retirement years. A part of pre-planning is talking with retirement professionals about your assets and holdings”.
Exercise and diet are important parts of having happy retirements. We as seniors are eating better and exercising more. Some of us participate in aerobics classes which are the most fun. Strangers become friends and of course we share stories.
We eat more fruits and vegetables and of course we are drinking more water. These habits are helping us to live longer and have a better quality of life. I believe young adults can take a page from our retirement strategies. We as seniors are aging gracefully and with dignity. Age is really only a number.
Dr. James B. Ewers, Jr. is a longtime educator who hails from Winston Salem, N.C. Ewers is a life member of the NAACP and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
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