Chris Farrell, author and commentator on economics, offered his online audience for UMRA’s February workshop expansive terms to describe retirement, including “encore,” “next chapter,” and “evolution.” As he did in his 2016 book Unretirement: How Baby Boomers are Changing the Way We Think about Work, Community, and the Good Life, he focused on the contemporary situation for those leaving lifelong work,

The demographic data is startling: By 2034 there will be more people 65-plus than under 18, and estimates are that half of those born since 2007 will live to 100. That large and aging population will have an impact not only on retirees themselves but also on business, institutional requirements, and families, Farrell said. 

Work, he emphasized, plays a critical role in our lives well beyond the paycheck, providing connections with other people and a sense of purpose. Contemporary trends indicate that, as they are aging today, people often shift to other kinds of work or to active volunteering. These new experiences demonstrate that aging does not limit creativity, especially when they include listening and learning. 

Many shared values

Despite news stories about generational conflict, Farrell noted, research shows that there are many shared values across diversity, ideas, and experiences when older workers are side-by-side with younger ones. “Age discrimination is real,” he said. “But compared to 20 to 30 years ago, it is less of a factor.”

At various points Farrell decried cultural commentary and dismissive actions that discount seniors. He recommended reading “Notes on Aging,” a bemused reflection by the late John Kenneth Galbraith writing in britannica.com on what he called the “Still Syndrome”. The older economist offered pithy retorts to those he encountered who inquired: “Are you still well?” “Are you still working?” “Still having a drink?” His response, Galbraith wrote, “is to call attention to the speaker’s departure from grace and decency: ‘I see that you are still rather immature.’” 

Although volunteerism has slowed down recently, Farrell expected that to change. However, he also noted that nonprofits are not positioned to take advantage of volunteer knowledge, and it will require dialogue on both sides. 

—Sally Gregory Kohlstedt, UMRA president-elect and Program Committee chair