Old ain’t what it used to be! Remember when the age for retirement was set; most people didn’t even live until retirement age. Now we live 20 to 30 years past the retirement age. The age of 65 in this day and age has little resemblance to the age of 65 in, say, 1960. Most people are not old at 65 today. They may or may not have slowed down.
It is ironic that our society, rather than adjusting to this longevity trend, continues to promote a retirement age that was established over 100 years ago when people lived to the ripe old age of 46. Even more ironic is that many, with wealth supplied by a robust and resilient economy, have convinced themselves to take up early retirement. Many of these people have failed to comprehend that if they retire at 55,for example, they will spend as many years in their retirement as they did in their entire working career. This is great if you have some invigorating and challenging pursuits before you in those 30 years. If you don’t, history shows that you will never see those 30 extra years.
How old will you be when you really become old? It seems that the answer to that question is as individual as the person answering it. We know that the marker for old is no longer 65. Some recent surveys show that most seniors now feel that the marker for old is somewhere between 80 and 5. Expect that number to keep moving up. Further in this story I will guide you in figuring out how old you truly ware in mind and body, and introduce you to people who are defying the so-called limitations of age. These individuals have not bought into the idea that they need to move aside for the next generation – or anyone else for that matter. They will leave the race when they are good and ready!
The Hero's Journey