The Big Quit
By Pamelagrace Beatty
We’ve all read about so many folks not going back to work. And now we are reading that a number of those who did go back, and some of the ones that continued working throughout the quarantine, are quitting left and right! According to an article by Juliana Kaplan and Andy Kiersz on Businessinsider.com, September 8, 2021, a monthly average of 3.6 million people quit their jobs from April to July. That was the last time the Bureau of Labor Statistics released information on employment. There are, indeed, lots of jobs being advertised as open. Companies are even going so far as to offer bonuses to candidates on jobs that, in the past, never had bonuses attached them. Some fast-food companies have raised the hourly rate to attract people to work for them. It’s crazy out there!
At first, the news reported people simply weren’t going back to work. Some said that people just didn’t want to work anymore, that they were collecting unemployment, so they didn’t feel a need to go back to work. Well…. That’s pushing it a bit. Unemployment compensation helps but it does not equal a full paycheck. I’m thinking that’s not the answer. So, what is the answer? Why are folks not going back to work? Why are so many quitting the jobs they have? What the heck is going on?
The answer is, perhaps, complicated. Maybe having unemployment benefits has kept people from starving, making the decision to not return to work right away acceptable. Maybe the danger of going back to working in an office with the potential of still getting Covid, even though they are vaccinated (break-through virus) has stopped people. The potential for catching the virus certainly caused a lot of concern for folks before the vaccinations came out. It’s possible that the Delta virus is still causing some concern. And maybe, just maybe, after spending so much time in an enforced “time out,” many people have done some assessing and rethinking about their lives and what is important to them. I know I have.
Frankly, I was surprised to read that many others have shared my experience of re-thinking my life. I have become surer of what changes I want to make in my career. Yes, I still have a career even though I am retired! It’s my retirement career that I look at now. I’ve asked myself how can I best enjoy this third quarter of my life? What is important to me now? What did I overlook in the past that I could pay attention to now? What brings me joy? What would I love to do with my time and efforts? I am not asking what do I have to do, or what can I do but what do I want to do. Where do I want to put my time and energy? In the third quarter of our lives, our mortality is no longer an existential discussion. It’s a call to action. I have turned down two full-time jobs as a result. I am clear I want to enjoy this part of my life and finally do the things I’ve wanted to do for – in one case – all of my life. I know some folks who are retirement age or even past it that are still working full-time. That is their prerogative. It is their brand of fun. It is not mine. Yet, I was surprised to learn that since the pandemic, many people much younger than I have rethought their lives and careers and have decided to go for what they really want as well. I applaud them and wish them all the best.
For those who are retired and no longer have to work, I would think that choosing to do what your heart has always desired would be easy. I have found, however, that that is not true for all retirees. Some folks are definitely having the time of their lives but some are confused and uncertain. They don’t know what to do with this wonderful opportunity to do whatever they want. They don’t know what they want. Wow! I’ve made suggestions to friends in that predicament. My suggestions seem to fall on deaf ears. My friends don’t seem to realize all the excitement and growth experiences that await them. Uh oh, did I say, “growth experiences?” Who the hell wants to grow at this time in their lives? But isn’t that what life is all about? Yes, I think so. Well, these new experiences are waiting for us if we are open to trying new things and taking chances.
I have one friend who travels all over the world taking photos and videos of endangered species and indigenous peoples. I have another friend who is a musician and now lives in a senior living community, surrounded by other musicians. He has many opportunities to play all the music he wants, and he takes full advantage of it. I have yet a third friend, who, prior to the pandemic, traveled with her husband as much as possible and is eagerly waiting for restrictions in other countries to ease so they can get back on a plane again. A childhood retired friend who was a teacher, is putting her time into her family. She is coaching her grandchild in math, encouraging her sons through career transitions, supporting her daughter-in-law as she too takes on a new career. And I have two friends who are still working full-time and loving it, so they ask, “Why quit?” They shouldn’t, if they like what they are doing.
It’s those who are retired and not enjoying their lives that I worry about. I would so like to wake them up to the possibilities. They have all worked really hard throughout their lives. They deserve to enjoy the “fruits of their labor.” They deserve to have some fun, more fun than they had while they were working full-time. When I ask them what they are doing, I get long, sad stories. When I make suggestions, I get, “Well I can’t do that because…” So many retirees are strapped for cash. Approximately 40% of retired Americans rely completely on social security benefits as their source of income. That’s a lot of folks who don’t have the money to go a lot of places or throw a lot of parties. Still, there are opportunities to enjoy life. There are senior community centers in neighborhoods that offer inexpensive and/or no-cost entertainment, group activities, and more. There are the standard places like churches where folks can gather and socialize. Many organizations like hospitals, live theatres, and schools want volunteers. There’s even the grandson’s football game or the granddaughter’s soccer game to follow or attend and get excited about. I know of a group of retirees in a small town who have banded together to help each other. They post on a private list what they need, and if someone within the group can help, he or she does. They have extended their activities to social events like dinners, parties, trips together, and so one. They are seniors-helping-seniors and they have made new and supportive friends as a result.
OK, although none of this may rock your boat, I’m just saying no one, who is able bodied, has to sit at home and bemoan their fate. Even the assisted-living communities bring in entertainment, exercise professionals, give parties, and so on. Yes, there will be people in living situations where none of this is available. But for those where some of these options would work, it is an opportunity to find what you love and bring it into your lives. So, give it try! You might find that you like it…
