Recent headlines from various media outlets regarding Prince Philip’s ‘retirement’ ranged from ‘Prince Philip to retire from royal duties,’ ‘Prince Philip stepping down’ and ‘The show goes on’ to a story about a tribe in Vanuatu that worships the prince being disappointed at the news. Even some royals retire. What is a right royal retirement?
Feeling Connected
Retiring 30 years after the age at which most people retire is quite an achievement. While most people’s lives are not royal, there are a few similarities worth considering.
Many people love what they do; they feel connected and needed with their work. For some fortunate folk, work is part of their life and they would connect with the saying, ‘If you love what you do it isn’t work.’
When The Music Stops
Louis Armstrong is attributed to saying, ‘Musicians stop when the music stops.’ Musician friends of mine certainly seem to ascribe to his words. Many creative types, people with businesses and those in some of the helping professions don’t seem to have a ‘use-by date.’
Some time ago, I read a news article about a judge who referred to his mandatory retirement age as ‘statutory senility.’ I often wonder what he did in his retirement.
Marc Freedman in his book, Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life, imagines a scene in the year 2030 when the ‘feared Gray 2K was a nonevent just like the Y2K before it.’ He describes a time when people are contributing longer and have ‘broader social purposes to fulfill.’
Refinement, Purpose, Passion, Royalty
So, although high profile people such as Prince Philip may announce their ‘retirement,’ is it actually a ‘refinement’ of what they want to do?
Purpose and passion in our lives is very important, and Freedman is an advocate for encore careers.
Finding something we want to do keeps us involved, curious, interested and interesting and, hopefully, also leads to challenging the brain.
So, who knows even Princes may find their ‘encore.’
A Right Royal Retirement!
R.I.P. HRH The Prince Philip, Duke Of Edinburgh
This was first published in RetireNotes