Life After Retirement

Huell Howser passed away last night. He was the homespun host of public television’s popular California’s Gold travelogues.   He obviously enjoyed producing the programs he presented.  I actually found his presentations irritating because of the corny dialog he used.  He wrote it and he enjoyed presenting it.  He retired in November 2012.

Howser is not the first well known and widely loved personality to die shortly after retiring.  Andy Rooney was the ever loved curmudgeon who ended every 60 Minutes program with some silly but interesting observations. He died within a few weeks of his retirement.  Remember Edgar Bergen the ventriloquist?  He was the father of Candice Bergen.  He too died within weeks of his retirement.  I am sure there are other well known people who died shortly after retirement.

Still, I know some veterans of WWII that are alive and well who drive cars, play cards,  argue about everything, watch television, and are living happily ever after.

So my question is: does being in the lime light impact your life after retirement or is it that those who really love their jobs face an early death upon retirement?

I believe it’s the latter.  My own father worked until the age of 70.  He would have worked even longer if his employer had not said “We think it’s time you retired.”  He was not a happily retired man.  He struggled finding things to do.  He lived 16 years after he retired.

I on the other hand never loved any of my work.  It was work not fun.  I do not miss getting up at 5:30am.  I do not miss angry bosses.  Actually my son was 18 when he said, “You have hated every job you ever had.”  Wow! That hurt but it was true.

So since I have no regrets about not working maybe I will live to 100.  I hope so!