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Friday, October 4, 2013

Friday Fricassee

Thought for the day:  I am never going to "retire".

It's interesting, when I begin to chat with people about retirement--the whole saving-up-money, 401K, you-should-have-started-your-retirement-fund-a-long-time-ago stuff that has the power to make us fear the future, if we let it.  I've discovered that I have an alarming number of friends who have no retirement plan.  Literally.  And some of these folks are old enough (in my opinion) that they should probably have a substantial nest egg by now.  Yet they don't.

My husband is notorious for wringing his hands over this stuff.  And I try to stay away from the gloom-and-doom thoughts as much as possible.

Here's the thing.  I've been writing for years, but it isn't an actual career yet.  (I mean, it is.  It's what I do best, and it's what I do the most.  Besides eating chocolate.)  But inherent in the word career is the whole idea of making a living.  And that, as you know, I'm not doing.  Yet.

BUT.  For me, there isn't a "countdown to retirement".  I intend to write until my fingers stop moving and I'm ready to dance off to heaven.  There is no such thing as "aging out" of writing, and there's no reason to set it aside at some pre-designated age, just because that's what people do.

So while my husband will certainly enter the realms of Official Retirement some day, I will not.  He can putter around the yard and volunteer at the homeless shelter while I sit at my desk and work on my latest WIP.  Or edit a client's work.  Or schedule my next book tour.

Yep.  That's my dream.  85 and still going strong.  And I'm holding fast to it.

My (fabulous amazing inspiring) piano teacher from college is in his early 80s and still performing.  He officially retired from the university at least a decade ago, but he has not, in the strictest sense, retired.  My desktop photo is a black and white shot of his hands on a piano keyboard, taken by his daughter.  The fingers are gnarled and knobby--and beautiful.  I know those hands--I've heard them play so many times.  He is a master, and he's just going to keep going until he's finished breathing.

I want to be like him.

(Well, I'll never play as well as he does, because I stopped being a rabid, practice-5-hours-a-day pianist once I graduated.  But I want words to flow from my fingers instead of music, well into my aren't-you-retired-yet years.)

Writing isn't my job--it is my life's work.  There is a difference.  And "life" doesn't end at 65 or 70 or whatever arbitrary "retirement age" people throw about.

So there you have it--another piece of my heart.  (Treat it well, as you always do!)  Now tell me YOUR plans.  Will you spend the rest of your life writing?  Or do you long for the day when you can set down your quill and enjoy a cup of tea on the porch instead?  We all have different dreams, and I'd love to hear yours!

38 comments:

  1. I'm semi-retiring November 1!!!!

    What I see is people who can't take that step, who work full-time until they don't have the energy to enjoy their retirement--often because of fear. But, then again, I'm leaving my 20+ year career as a florist to spend more time with my writing career and expand my antique dealing career.

    LOL. I guess my idea of retirement is change and refocusing. I don't have a lot of retirement cash set aside, but I do have alternate plans if need be.

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  2. One of my kids will take care of me. I figure with 10 of them, most of them culturally Thai, I've got pretty good odds.

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  3. My husband has been "anal" with making sure we're set for retirement, so when I lost my job last year (at the age of 55), it didn't destroy us. So I basically retired from the corporate world and entered into writing full time. I'm much happier now, too. Sure, I'm not getting paid, but hopefully that will change when my first book comes out in January. Not sure that would have happened so soon without losing my job!! See - it was a blessing in disguise.

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  4. Yep. I mean, what's the point of stoppin, you know? (though, i do have a 401k from the dayjob)

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  5. I don't think I'll ever stop writing, but I long for the day I can 'retire' from my day job. Or at least my current one; I've been stuck at fast food for over four years now.

    I think that's the key. You want a job, or career, so wonderful you don't need to retire from it... and you're set.

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  6. That is a scary dream, Julie. <3

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  7. That's the difference between a 9 to 5 job that's just a job to pay the bills, and something like writing which is more like a calling. I'm with you, I don't think I'll ever stop writing. But I also wouldn't mind a few carefree days sipping tea on the porch without having to worry about money.

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  8. Dear Authoress,
    I have never considered retirement for myself because like you, I don't want to live without words. The prospect of doing anything but writing brings a tightness to my chest, even though I am like you and am a full time writer still looking for the career-money factor. (My undying thanks to my husband who provides support in many ways.) Since I began writing as my career I feel like I have been given an limitless day to achieve my success. Would I prefer success to come sooner, rather than later? Of course, most of us would, but I will revel in the unending time and work hard to make the most of the blessing I have been granted.

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  9. I'm with you! I intend to keep on writing until. . . .

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  10. I guess I never looked at retirement for myself as stopping at a certain age. I don't plan to work at my day job--medical billing--forever, or much longer if I have my way, but to me, retirement has never been the plan. Like you, Authoress, I plan to write until my brain quits on me--there will still be ways to write when my fingers no longer work-lol. Still, I think of "retirement" as putting aside money to support me when/if I can no longer write to do so. I hope all of you who said you don't plan to "retire" are still planning for old age.

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  11. Writing IS my retirement plan! I will work my 9-5 until the earliest feasible moment I can stop that silliness and do what I'd rather do.

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  12. I'm with you! But of course the beauty of being a writer is that sitting on the porch with a cup of tea and reconnecting with the world and myself IS part of my job. The words always come easier for me when relaxation and self-care are a vital part of the equation.

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  13. Writing IS my retirement plan. My husband has a good job and worries constantly over his 401K. But me? As long as I have a working laptop and a place to plug it in so that I can write, I'm content.

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  14. A pianist? Another amazing facet of Authoress! My goodness, I'm impressed.
    I'm in the same boat as most of the other writers, namely, waiting for the day I can retire from my bill paying day job. Writing is a passion, working is a chore.
    First day of retirement I intend to have my cake and eat it too. I'll be the one on the porch (hopefully somewhere fabulous, like Paris) sipping a hot cup of tea while typing away on my laptop.

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  15. I agree with you. Writing has become my way of life. I expect (hope) to be writing the day I die.

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  16. You must have your crystal ball centered on me again, because retirement planning has been looming in my mind a lot lately.

    I say looming, because even though we were on track and saving from an early age, life intervened and kicked us off the rail. We were young and healthy with good jobs and active lives, but the place I was exercising at turned out to be moldy, which nearly killed me.

    But it turns out I’m kinda stubborn, so here I am, getting better every day. However, losing twelve years of work plus adding twelve years of massive medical bills has certainly taken a toll on our financial picture, so much so that my husband had to shelve his plans of early retirement. We weren’t able to sue the moldy rec center for negligence because we have no laws regarding mold in public buildings, so we’ve had to shoulder all the medical bills and loss of income on our own.

    I don’t mean to go on about this, but please use me as a cautionary tale when planning your financial future. Even the healthiest of us can be taken down by the unknown.

    However, this tragedy has its silver linings; one, I found out my husband is even more wonderful than I thought in the beginning (and that’s saying something), and two, that writing is what I should be doing and I can do it almost anywhere, even from bed, if need be. So in-between my doctor visits I have been working to perfect my craft. I’ve gotten valuable experience with some good part-time jobs in the writing field, and now I’m taking online college courses to increase my knowledge. So when my doctor finally releases me back into the wild, I hope to have already positioned myself for my future career, one which will allow my husband to leave his stressful job and I can take on the road with us when we travel, giving me new insights and settings for my novels and keeping me alive and involved throughout my golden years.

    So Universe, now that I’ve publicly proclaimed my hopes and dreams, how about it?

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  17. PS~ I already drink my tea on the porch. However, the drinking tea on a porch in PARIS is an exceptional idea!

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  18. My husband (who looks forward to retiring) says of my job as a writer that all my days are Saturdays. It's true in the sense that every morning instead of going to a job I have to do, I get up and do what I most want to do -- write.

    Wishing you a lifetime of Saturdays!

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  19. Dear Authoress: “Another piece of my heart.” Love that, and the observations about your piano teacher. Lovely. As always, your post strikes at the heart, and reminds me of a fundamental, that nothing in our lives is ever really “safe.” There are no real nest eggs. And even when we do save up, we make our plans… unforeseen tragedies happen, we lose those we love, we have (at times) debilitating setbacks, health scares, you name it.

    Like you, I’ll never retire. My husband and I don’t have a nest egg because the economy’s been so tough. We’ll be working well into our 70’s. We live modestly yet we’re happy. Recently, though, I was reminded how lucky I am, that while we can’t afford lavish vacations or even a new car, that I’m reasonably healthy and strong. Sure, I’m probably flirting with varicose veins from sitting in front of a laptop and certainly my posture’s paid a price. But there is some odd determination in me. Others may be rabbits and coast past me, scoring book deals and big agents, while I plod along, the proverbial turtle, but every day, I inch forward, and eventually, I’ll be running with those rabbits – maybe with a cane, because I’m old – LOL – but I’ll be hopping along nonetheless.

    I used to be envious of successful writers, how some seemed to effortlessly write with no challenges, no insecurities or writer’s block. They seem to coast to book deals while I slog away, often painfully. (LOL) Worse are the successful writers who radiate smugness. You hang back and grind your teeth, how can the publishing gods award such a nasty person with such success? It’s hard to figure. But I don’t dwell on it like I used to. It’s just life. It ain’t fair. By now, I’ve encountered a few writers who face really tough situations. Recently, I met a writer who has Parkinson’s, and whose son was diagnosed with cancer. Yet at our writer meeting, he remained so upbeat, so determined to stay positive about his son and his writing. So when I meet a writer who oozes smug attitude, I swap out that ‘ugh’ reaction inside me – and remember writers who are kind and encouraging to others, who cheer others on. If I am struggling, there is someone who is struggling even more than me.

    I like being humbled. I like being reminded how unimportant my gripes are, compared to those who really have heartbreaking hardships.

    I heard Garrison Keillor talk in 2008 about writer narcissism and to me, verified why I strive to do this. Sure. There are those who want fiction fame, who imagine being interviewed on TV talk shows about their books. That’s fine. That’s not my dream. Mine is connect to readers and to somehow share some universal truth, some light bulb of recognition, some degree of “I feel that way, too.” To be a conduit. To learn and expand as I write about a subject or novel. To feel something, deeply, and hope to pour those feelings onto paper – and not in a clichéd, cloying way.

    Thanks again for being you, Authoress. Thank you for the forum you provide, for your kind and often profound posts. You’re a blessing to us anonymous souls who keep up the good fight.

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  20. This is such an interesting topic and one that I haven't thought about until now. I don't think I'll ever want to stop writing. This is the best "job" I've ever had.

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  21. 18 years Royal Navy, 10 years computer programming, now writing full time.

    Hope to be rep'd, published and continue writing my novels.

    Will not stop till I drop!

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  22. I don't see myself ever really retiring. I'm never happier than when I have too much to do. And writing is a career you don't have to retire from, but can retire into. Aren't we lucky?

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  23. Love this post. I'm a figure skater and a writer. I've been skating for twenty two years and writing stories since elementary School. One time When I was competing at Adult Nationals there was a lady who had to be in her sixties. She did an axel and a double Salchow And looked phenomenal in a skating dress. I was so inspired by her. As long as my body allows it I hope to Continue skating. As far as writing, I may not be getting paid to do it, but I treat it like figure skating. It takes daily practice, dedication, passion, and I hope to write as long as I can!

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  24. Makes me think of Isaac Asimov and his desire to die face down in the keyboard of his typewriter (or later computer). Didn't quite work out that way, but that's something that actually gives me comfort about being a writer. It's something that I'll always do no matter what. No worries on finding hobbies to occupy myself with after retirement.

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  25. I don't remember where I first read it, but I've always gone by a simple phrase: "Writers don't retire. We die." There's a weird kind of peace in that, for me; I like knowing that I'll still be working on one book or another when it's my time to go. I like knowing I'll always have stories to tell.

    I do, however, have a retirement account. Just because it's a good idea. ^_^

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  26. I will write forever. But a "retirement age" of 65 or 70 is becoming less and less feasible for people in all walks of life. My husband is a financial planner, and he is constantly advising clients that they will have to work for (sometimes) many more years than they originally planned, or they simply won't have the resources they'll need.

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  27. I've been saving for retirement since I graduated high school. I opened a mutual fund and started making modest monthly contributions to it right away. I have a 401k at my job, and a few 401ks from previous jobs that I haven't gotten around to rolling over yet. My dream is to make enough money early on in life that I won't have to work a 9-5 anymore and will be able to dedicate as much time as I want to writing, without having to worry about whether or not my writing ever brings in enough money to live off of.

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  28. writing for me is life and I will write to stay in the flow of living
    write on

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