Iām 32 years old, just turned it on June 9, and I have to admit, I have a hard time keeping up with most of the residents in Sun City, despite that I am approximately 23 years younger than the age requirement for living here. Walking through Prairie Lodge, my stride should beat the pants off everyone I see, but this is not so. And so far as Iāve been told, youāre supposed to slow down and relax in retirement, but all I see are a mass of people who have sped up.
This in mind, I have a theory about residents of Sun City who have retired. That is they havenāt retired at all, only shifted gears.
I just finished writing three stories for this edition about residents who took on different paths in their senior years. Whether they are making money from this shift is beside the point. Itās the fact that theyāve forged aheadāagaināin their lives and charted a new course and are enjoying themselves.
This reminds me of my second article I wrote as the Dundee reporter for the Dundee Journal (no longer circulated). It was in part about a man named Julius Redmur, a centenarian who died at the age of 109. So far as his family said, he was a successful mechanic during the Great Depression and lived an active and independent lifestyle until his death. In fact, he died making breakfast for himself.
Iām going to be bold and say something now that many of you might shake your head at, sighing, āthe foolishness of youth.ā I donāt plan to ever retire. Not if Iām working as an author, that is. Truth is, Iād rather shoot myself in the foot than put down my pen (the foolishness of youth again, I know), and it seems that this is the norm for people in my trade. When I look to the authors I admire most, and even ones Iām just simply fond of, thereās only one under the age of 55. Stephen King is 62, Richard Matheson (Twilight Zone writer, author of The Shrinking Man) is 84, Dean Koontz is 64, Cormac McCarthy (author of The Road and No Country for Old Men) is 76, and then thereās Ray Bradbury, who is turning 91 this year. These writers all still dominate the industry too, beating the pants off the younger generation.
I researched a bit on the activity level of men and women in the senior age range and found a study conducted by Jan Hively at the University of Minnesota. Hively surveyed 200 seniors in the rural Minnesota area on their activity level. According to the results of this survey found in an NPR article online dated March 25, 2004, this is what Hivelyās survey concluded:
About 40% of seniors worked after retirement age (about half needed the money, but the other half worked because they wanted to and planned to until physically unable).
Many other Minnesota seniors spent their time volunteering.
75% percent of seniors who were well into their 80s were active and healthy.
As someone who is becoming knowledgeable on senior communities, well, at least reporting on them, I have to agree that these results are true, and Iām glad to see that retirement is not about slowing down but moving forward in a different direction. Then again, I donāt know what Iām worrying about, because Iām not going to retire.
