When Time Is No Longer About Money
Sep 9th, 2008 by Lauri
Last week I had dinner with my aunt and uncle. She is a PhD, who retired from teaching at a major university two years ago and he is an executive who still travels around the world for business meetings, hesitant to give up his work.
After speaking with them that evening, it seemed apparent that gender might be affecting their view of retirement.
My aunt is writing her memoir, volunteering as docent at a museum and taking courses that interest her. She has a positive perspective on retirement and welcomes the free time she has now, to explore new paths. Conversely, my uncle is only focused on his work; he finds it hard to imagine himself without a schedule that is packed with meetings and negotiations. Although he goes to the opera regularly with my aunt, and has other interests, to him retirement doesn’t seem to have much allure.
Do men place so much emphasis on work, throughout their lives, that they feel their careers define them? 
Are their identities completely entwined in their professional life, making it more difficult to relinquish their careers when it’s time to consider retirement? Are women better able to break free of their work life when they get older because most are accustomed to having dual occupations, as mothers and career women? Or are women simply more flexible than men? What is your opinion?