Retired, But Working Part-time by Choice

Sheridan was a second home to me, a comfortable, friendly place to work with interesting colleagues and fresh-faced, eager journalism students, who for the most part, wished to be there. Before teaching, I’d worked in Canadian book publishing for 12 years and after working full time for 37 years, I convinced myself, it was time to launch a new career as a novelist.

Everything I required to retire from my full time job was in place: the defined benefit pension I’d contributed to, coupled with CPP, would pay out 50 per cent of my teaching salary. On top of that, I would continue to teach on a part-time basis at the college. With that, I reasoned, my standard of living would not decrease substantially. I’d downsized to an affordable condo where I believed I could control costs more efficiently than in a larger home. I was mortgage free, with only a pesky car loan to annoy me.

In The Globe and Mail, Joyce Wayne has a column about leaving her full-time job after working for 37 years, and what retirement means to her: Being able to pursue a dream of writing books, while continuing to work part-time for additional income (so she can continue helping her daughter pay for her college education; her partner was also recently laid off). She says retirement has never meant ceasing to work.

I envision my version of retirement to be similar — being able to continue to write and work, but not having to rely on the money I earn in retirement to live (the money earned would be for vacations and trips to Mars, or whatever places we’re visiting 40 years from now — I’d also settle for Italy).

[Thanks to Anne for the link!]

Photo: Max Wolfe

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