Enjoying a Split-Personality Retirement

One of the things I have enjoyed about incorporating a part-time job into my retirement is the chance to get to be someone different from time to time.  As with many people, my career played a large part in defining who I was before I retired.  It was a major ingredient my identity.   It’s the same with retirement, really.  When I tell people that I am retired, the word retired conveys an identity as well.  People have an image of retirement, and whether that image accurately reflects how I live my retirement or not, it certainly identifies me in a particular way.

I’ve written about how hard it is to say what I “do” when I’m small-talking with a new acquaintance.  When we meet someone new, the small talk about our occupations is really just to gain context for getting to know one another.  It’s a jumping-off point for conversation.  Just as “finance-professional” didn’t really express who I was before I retired, “retired” doesn’t really cover who I am since retirement.  Having another dimension to my retirement gives me a chance to indulge in a bit of split personality.

Personality 1:  Writer/Blogger

When I first retired and would meet someone that I wasn’t likely to have an intimate on-going relationship with, I generally answered “aspiring writer” to those questions.  My hairdresser and my dental hygienist, casual conversations with strangers in waiting rooms and grocery lines, those are the relationships that I chose to convey this persona to.  And especially to hard-working folks that don’t like their jobs, I am usually reluctant to tell them I’m retired at such a young age.

Personality 2:  Retired

For people with whom I’m likely to build an ongoing, intimate relationship, “retired” seems to be the best way to categorize my life.  That’s why I can meet up with them at practically any time, why I have the time to read so many books, take so many classes, and travel so frequently.  If a person is going to really know me, they will ultimately wonder how I’m able to have such a flexible life, so I might as well explain that at the beginning of the relationship.

Personality 3:  Part-time venture capital CFO

I’m taking an angel investing class at our local university.  I tell the people that I meet there, that I work part-time as a CFO at a venture capital firm.  At the first class, we all introduced ourselves and explained why we were taking the class.  I’m taking it to get more enjoyment out of the experience of my part-time consulting gig.  Sometimes I resort to this persona in other situations as well, instead of the writer/blogger one. 

For some other advantages of incorporating a little work into your retirement, read my post this week at U.S. News, 10 Reasons to Work Part-Time in Retirement.

 

Related Posts:

     It’s Not Losing and Identity, It’s Gaining a Chance to Create a New One!

            Discovering Who I am Without Work

            How Do You Know You’re Retired if You’re Still Working?

 

This is a post from Retirement:  A Full-Time Job.

Comments

[Adam]

I like and agree with your post, which provides a clear example of how our generation, boomers, are approaching retirement differently that our parents. The concept of retirement today doesn't mean slowing down. Instead, you're re-focusing your energy on multiple interests, without the strain, and singular identity, of a major career job.

[Sightings]

I tell people I'm semi-retired, that I do some freelance and consulting work either for my old company, or else for a few new accounts, and that I mostly work at home sitting behind a computer.

To me it sounds pretty boring. I'm surprised when people say they envy my situation ... but it turns out, a lot of people do!

[guinness416]

I have nothing intelligent to add to the post ... just wanted to say I love the photo. Good doggies!

[Retired Syd]

@guinness416: Great photo, isn't it? Those are the winery dogs at Von Strasser winery. Makes me smile.

@sightings: I think that reveals that many of us don't just hate working, we just crave more flexibility and control over our time.

@Adam: That's exactly it!

[Accidental Retiree]

This is yet another good observation on the transition from working to 'retirement,' whatever that means. If anyone asks me what I'm doing, I'll just say "What Syd said!"

But seriously, I feel in many ways I am following in the tracks you've laid down. I'm writing because I like to, not because I expect to make any money at it; I am working on a certificate for a new field (fiduciary management) and recently acquired certification as a senior advisor (does that mean when I talk to myself I need to listen more closely?); and I do some volunteer work.

Really, I've found that not being tied to the 40-hour cubicle job lets me do what works best for me: many things at one time.

Thanks for articulating the experience, Syd. I always enjoy reading your blog entries.

Oh, and I LOVE the dogs! Labs are great! (Says the woman owned by 4 beagles....)

[[email protected] Lifestyle]

I thank you for this post. I like you am living a multiple identity life but it just never occurred to me that there could be multiple answers to the question- what do you do? My answers are usually bewilderingly complicated and unrelatable to most people but I think I am trying to be 'honest' or 'accurate' with a rambling and disconnected answer that doesn't mean anything to the questioner.

[Retired Syd]

@Accidental Retiree & Ralph: One of the things I love about blogging is when people leave me comments that make me feel like I'm not alone in my experience. Thanks for making me feel that way today.

Syd

[Seth Clementi]

"...the word retired conveys an identity as well."

A poignant thought, Syd. Depression is not unusual for a lot of people who reach this stage in their lives. It's difficult to accept that society expects of them less because of this label. But the label has its perks, sometimes.

[Drew Harrison]

Oh, blogging is a good choice since you can do it at home. Writing jobs are in-demand nowadays, and the fact that you can be a home-based writer can be the convenience that you need. :)

[Ann Hearn]

Great post. There are so many different ways of defining retirement. I will always have to be doing something.

[JoAnn Spears]

I'm living this too. Great post.