January and February 2022 have definitely made it into Canada’s history books. A lot of opinions have been expressed about the way the Covid-19 pandemic has been handled here. I’m sure there are many comments in other countries as well; I’m simply not as up-to-date on those issues. That’s not to say I’m completely on top of what’s been going on here in Canada either; I try to stay out of the debating and emotional “conversations” that have been going on since the vaccines first came on the market.
Before you click off the page, I’m not going to let loose with my own thoughts on how things have been going. What I want to do is draw a comparison, if you’ll let me, between the various issues that have surfaced through the pandemic and the various issues that surface as you travel the road from working days to Beyond Retirement. I think there are some interesting similarities, and I hope you’ll agree…
Covid-19 Characteristics
Retirement Characteristics
| It arrived all of a sudden and nobody was prepared for it. | Although we try to prepare for it, when the time actually comes, we’re often surprised. |
| Everyone was suddenly an expert in what we should be doing to properly protect ourselves. | Everyone has opinions and recommendations on how we should handle our time and what activities should be taken into account. |
| Differing opinions on everything from the origin of the disease to how virulent it is and how best to protect ourselves have divided the country, the provinces, towns, and even families. | Our decisions can leave our friends and family bewildered and, in some cases, we will be cut off from them due to disagreements and/or misunderstandings. |
| Over the course of the pandemic, the number of illnesses and deaths related to Covid-19 have been decreasing and seem to have reached a plateau of sorts. | Over the years that Baby Boomers have been retiring, the age that we retire at has been decreasing and is now plateauing. |
Not to make light of anything that’s been going on lately, there has been a continuous struggle between “sides” of the situation, not unlike the struggle between those who think retirement is a “good thing” and those who think it’s the worst possible outcome for anyone. Let’s all just agree to disagree on that too, okay?
Many people have a strong dislike of the word retirement because of its connotation – withdrawal from activity. I hope you know me well enough by now (unless this is the first time you’re reading my stuff…) to know that when I talk about life Beyond Retirement, I don’t mean sitting on the porch in a rocking chair, or relaxing on the sofa with popcorn and Netflix. I’m talking about doing what you’re really excited about, rather than simply doing the day-to-day work that brings in the money to pay the bills. Because THAT life is over, right?! You’ve done the work, paid the bills, and now it’s time to get on with living!
So, back to the topic at hand… the comparison between Covid and Retirement. I think it’s safe to say that Covid is here to stay – what we do about life because of this new development, well, that’s up to us. And Retirement (or, more appropriately, BEYOND Retirement) is also something that’s here to stay. So let’s get through this limbo stage and move on to what’s next, okay? We’re D-O-N-E with all this stuff.
Spring is on its way, and hopefully, as Annie tells us, “The sun will come out tomorrow.”
