Perspectives

What's a Retiree?

It is said that a senior is someone who defines themselves by their age and a pensioner is someone who defines themselves from the source of their paycheck. So what’s a retiree?

A Retiree is neither a pensioner nor a senior, although a Retiree may qualify as both. Retirement has little to do with age. Some retire in their thirties and some in their nineties. Retirement is more a state of mind than a record of birthdays or previous employment.

Retirement has little to do with one's activity level. Most retirees remain engaged with the world at about the same level they always have, but often in a more thoughtful way.

One of the main joys of retirement is more control of one’s time. Despite the fact that many retirees will say they are busier than ever and don't know how they ever found the time to go to work, there is time to choose and in that choice lies the sweetness of retirement.

Retirement brings with it the opportunity to consider ones path more carefully, a time to look back and look ahead. Retirement is a stage of life and a state of mind that permits, encourages and enables new levels of personal moral pursuit. Often this is expressed in different forms of volunteerism. It can be of the organized variety, a charity or service club, or it can start with a passion for roses, orchids, a Labrador retriever or an original novel.

There is time to absorb the lessons from our forest and marine environment. There is time to appreciate seasonal changes and activities in new ways. The end result is often a deepening appreciation for life’s endless beauty. It's in Retirement that the importance of the natural environment often strengthens our psyche. We are, after all, creatures of the natural world. We share this area with an abundance of other life forms. Campbell River is rich with opportunities to develop this connection with the natural world, a great place to retire. How fortunate we are to live here!

Submitted by Geoff Goodship

Is There Life After Retirement?