Reimagining Direction
The following blog is by Carlton L Coon, Sr.
The destination is clear when an Airbus A321 departs Washington’s Dulles airport, bound for Chicago. During flight, a directional gyroscope is an instrument that helps keep the plane on course. Quietly and continuously, the gyroscope works to keep the plane headed to its destination.
The ongoing assessment and subtle reorienting are essential to a safe arrival. Having a clear destination on departure is wonderful, but the goal is to safely arrive at the destination. But magnetic fields, the curve of the earth, and wind affect flight. Thus, recalibration is constant, so subtly done that passengers are unaware.
What a great illustration of life. Those who arrive at their destination will have experienced ongoing recalibration. Remember the changes from adolescence to young adulthood? As Chris, our youngest son, said, “It was a lot more fun being a teenager.”
Calibrating for the Sage Age
Unfortunately, for many, the Sage age seems to arrive abruptly. Borrowing David’s observation, “I once was young, but now am old . . .” Some people arrive at this place having had this experience:
Yesterday, I was young!
Today, I am old!
This is not the case, but the response to suddenly being 65, 70, 80, or 90 years old is as though this age has been thrust upon us – as though out of the blue today, I am old . . .
Our Challenge
Is it not true that mentally, physically, and emotionally, the recalibration from being 50 to being a Sage ager is sudden?
· One day, you can play 36 holes of golf, and suddenly, you are physically exhausted after playing nine holes.
· One day, you can drive far into the night, and suddenly, your night vision is too poor to render you a danger.
· One day, you can remember who preached at a camp meeting in July of 1974; suddenly, you cannot recall who preached on Sunday.
Becoming a Sage ager is unlike the transition from summer to fall, where cool days are interspersed with heat. Instead, the experience is, as a writer asked, “I’m old as dirt. How did I get here?”
The Sage age is like a tornado warning—suddenly, alarms go off, and there is turbulence all around. One must navigate retirement accounts, required disbursements, Social Security, and Medicare. Unexpectedly, medical professionals use terms like arthritis, cataracts, and joint replacement. It is quite a bit less pleasing than being a newlywed.
Second, change comes. Do you see change as catastrophic? Your life has been defined by preaching on Sunday, managing a law firm, working in the school lunchroom, and being a renowned finish carpenter or diesel mechanic. Suddenly, you aren’t. How exciting. Three months later, the new Sage age life isn’t fun at all, and you are surviving a tornado.
Third, are you stubbornly unwilling to let go of the past? The adage is: You can’t go home again. You are more likely to go home again than to return to being thirty, forty, or fifty years old. But some Sage agers hold to the life they had at forty, imagining that seventy is the new forty. It isn’t.
God’s purpose for you in the Sage age differs from what was planned for you at forty. Your greatest impact will be by influencing the arriving generation. Learn from Tarzan: As he swung from vine to vine, he had to let go of the previous vine before he could engage the next one. You must turn loose of one thing to take hold of another thing. It is the only way forward movement can continue. Isn’t it true, that in the past:
· You eagerly turned loose of adolescence, looking toward moving away from your parent’s home.
· You turned loose from high school to pursue further education, the military, or a career.
· You excitedly turned loose of the single life to marry the love of your life.
· You exulted when a baby was added.
You eagerly release the past and grasp the new. But turning loose in late middle age to grasp the Sage age is harder.
Ready or not, this is where we are on our life journey—happy, sad, mad, or glad. Like a jet without a directional gyroscope, we become unsafe for ourselves and others. You need to reorient.
For a significant majority, the Sage age creates the most discomfort. North American ageism in media and marketing is partially to blame. But the greater fault lies with believing and accepting the false narrative presented about age rather than what is presented by God’s word.
As the jet constantly recalibrates, minute action is immediately taken to correct the course. Your reorientation is not simply an idea of coming to understand the dilemma. Action is called for and you have options.
Reorient – Consider Going Back to Work
A T. Rowe Price survey said 20% of retirees return to work, though not necessarily to the same field. Many in the Sage age have not retired and do not envision doing so until some outside circumstance requires it.
You have talent, experience, and a proven work ethic. Why would any Sage ager return to work? Isn’t retirement the best thing on this side of heaven? Apparently not. Why then?
1. To keep active - 89% of those who return to work do so to keep mentally and physically active.
2. A distant second - free time is available, and I want to do something meaningful with my time.
3. Maintain social contacts - the workplace keeps social involvement alive.
4. Needed added income - was a distant fourth to the other three reasons.
What does this mean to you? You must come up with the answer. But if you feel the need to reorient, here are approaches others have taken to return to the workplace.
Do Something Interim
Robert and Judy Bentley, are veteran pastors and missionaries, now retired. In retirement, they became aware of a church nearby that had no pastor. Further, no preacher was interested in becoming pastor of the small congregation.
The Bentleys had served as pulpit supply for the church. When it became clear that nobody was interested in pastoring the church, the Bentleys made themselves available as interim pastors for a maximum of one year. During that year, the congregation grew. Twelve months later, a younger person was eager to become the pastor.
Dozens of churches exist much like what the Bentleys became pastor of. Small groups of people who have no shepherd. The group may have a building and enough money to pay for the utilities. They need leadership, vision, and a shepherd’s care. Might you not provide them with a year of care?
Some congregations offer you the opportunity to serve as music help for one year, understanding you will return to your home church in twelve months. You could assist the pastor of such a weak, struggling congregation with evangelizing the community on an interim basis.
An acquaintance who is in the Sage age has said, “God called me to preach. I’d rather preach to four people aiming to grow something than listen.”
Consultant
Steve is a retired mechanical engineer. He is well-off financially, but his ability and talent are in demand.
Steve became a consultant, working on one project at a time at his own pace and doing only what he wanted to do. As a consultant, he makes more money than he did working for a corporation and he enjoys the work.
Entrepreneurship
My dad spent decades working in oil field production. He was in his mid-50s when Hunt Oil Company offered an early retirement. Dad did not care for retirement. He’d always worked hard.
He retired for only six months before starting L.C.’s Production Company, doing the exact work he’d done for Hunt. He managed production for small oil producers who only owned a few wells.
After a few years, Dad went into the self-storage business. He and Mom owned such a business until months before he died. Weeks before his promotion, Dad regretted the decision to sell the self-storage business.
Many people of the Sage age do something they’ve dreamed of. You may hate the idea of returning to your previous work. What have you dreamed of doing? Is there a business you have imagined owning? Sage agers have started a bakery, decorated cakes, become a seamstress, made quilts, and hundreds of other options. Start small, grow as large as you want. If you start small, you’ve little risk.
Volunteer
Harold Cheek managed a convenience store. Sitting idle did not sit well. Soon after retiring, he volunteered to provide patient information at a local hospital.
A list of volunteer opportunities for your area is online. This ministry - Sages needs volunteers to help with several areas of administration.
Work for Yourself
This is a bit like entrepreneurship. The difference is that you buy and sell products others are interested in. The internet has opened unprecedented opportunities to re-sell used items.
Much of what is sold on Amazon, eBay, Posh Mart, Etsy, Pinterest, etc. are sourced by individuals like you. Is there an interest you are expert in, or have enough knowledge that you could easily become an expert? You may want to work for yourself.
• Used books on Amazon - an acquaintance has profited as much as $40,000 annually.
• Electronics
• Toys and games
• Cameras
• Video games
• Team merchandise supporting various athletic teams.
• Merchandise
• High end clothing sourced at Thrift Stores
• Athletic shoes
• Jewelry
• Unique Handmade items do well on Etsy, and Pinterest.
• Drop-shipping.
Research what is selling - don’t assume that you enjoying a thing means everyone else likes it as well.
One positive of using this for reorientation is being able to enter at low cost. If you start something and don’t enjoy it, change course. Do be warned - all of these require work - real work, some of it sweat-inducing work.
Gig Work
Gig work is a bit like consulting. You take on tasks others need help with. These are shorter term than being a consultant. My acquaintances edit books, build websites, sit with those physically challenged, or serve as a referee and umpire at youth sporting events.
Other gig work to consider:
• Survey Taker
• Tutor
• Virtual Assistant in dozens of areas
• Pet Sitter/pet walker
• Free-lance writer
• Seasonal job employee
• Uber/Lyft driver.
• Walmart/Target/etc. shopper and delivery
Be selective. If you are an editor, don’t waste time on authors who do not accept you correcting their grammar. Work with the person once, and then be “too busy” to take on their next project. .
Part-Time Work
Reorienting in this way is more structured than gig work or being a consultant. A part-time employee has a schedule and structure.
• School Support Worker
• Shopping Specialist
• Security Guard
• Bookkeeper for small businesses
• School Bus Driver
• Tour Conductor
• Patient Advocate
Several items here would not get my interest but are perfect for others.
Perhaps you are fulfilled and see it as God’s will for you spend your Sage age fishing or golfing three times per week, visiting flea markets and yard-sales six days each week, watching Gunsmoke reruns until you can quote the dialogue, reading novels, etc.
If so - rock on. If not, reorient and like the jet headed for a specific destination - do some research and reorient - sooner, rather than later. Your contentment in the Sage age depends on it.
Obviously, there are more ways to reorient than by some form of work. We will look into some of those in a later blog.
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This blog will produce questions and suggestions. Please share these by responding to the blog. The Sage age, correctly viewed, is your season of greatest opportunity. You can do what you want, and enjoy doing it.