That’s why I found this Washington Post story so inspiring. At 65, advertising exec Ed Levien knew he needed something to replace his sense of purpose as a retiring advertising exec. A moped injury left Ed vulnerable and grateful to strangers for their help. That led him to his second, and most meaningful, act — as an EMT. He began volunteering in his mid-60s all the way up to age 76, when he now works purely on the rescue squad.
In the past 12 years, Levien, 76, has responded to more than 3,300 emergency calls and worked more than 13,000 unpaid hours. He has helped deliver a baby, treated potentially fatal wounds and been a calming voice for panicked families. Another time, when a man ruptured an artery in his groin, Levien lay on top of him to apply pressure and slow the bleeding, and his colleagues lifted them together on a stretcher into an ambulance. Clearly, he’s not bored and his patients love his empathy and sense of humor. All the while he was wearing hearing aids and managing his chronic lung condition, emphysema.
This is also relevant to those who’ve been laid off later in their career. For older people who want to stay in the workforce, a layoff can be followed by a longer spell of unemployment. It takes nearly 26 weeks, on average, for people ages 55 to 64 to find a job, compared with 19 weeks for people ages 25 to 34, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And, older career workers who find new jobs take an 11% pay cut, on average.
How might you rethink retirement (or a layoff) as not just a time of leisure, but a time of service? Have you ever thought of being a substitute elementary school teacher, a park ranger, or a political activist? How do you put your wisdom to work on a schedule that is aligned with how much time you’re willing to devote? I bet if you do, you’ll feel a greater sense of community, purpose and wellness.
Lastly, here’s a new Fast Company article entitled “Over Half of Older Americans Plan to Skip Retirement” that has some interesting statistics.
-Chip
P.S. I wanted to share this stunning video from MEA alum Marshall Davis Jones which includes his poem “To Be Noble” (it’s worth the 2 minutes and change) which he created for the 49th annual conference of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE). Marshall says, reframing the idea of retirement, we come to our “second mountain” and climb again with more wisdom and insight.