To recap: In our previous post, we highlighted a particular
PowerPoint presentation, 101 Tips for a Successful Retirement (hereinafter
referred to as The Briefing), which will serve as a guiding resource in
crafting an effective retirement strategy.
In today's post, we'll take a closer look at one of those retirement
tips, exploring how it can be applied to our own specific circumstances. But first, we must come to terms.
Here in the United States, the word “pensioner” is used far less
frequently than it is by our cousins across the pond. Here, we are much more likely to use the word
“retiree” to describe an individual who has retired. In the U.K., the term “pensioner” is preferred,
recognizing that retired persons generally receive a state-supplied pension. (It should be noted that, for the present,
almost all retired individuals of a certain age in the U.S. also receive a
pension from Social Security, so perhaps the distinction is largely moot.) For purposes of this blog series, we will use
the terms “pensioner” and “retiree” interchangeably, doing our best to promote goodwill
on both sides of the Trans-Atlantic Alliance.
And for those who insist on such things, we’ll provide a simple working
definition: A retiree/pensioner simply doesn’t.
So why use both terms, if one suffices? Why do we always complicate things that are
really quite simple? The answer, of
course, is that things are rarely quite simple, as you’ve probably suspected by
now. In this case, the very forms of the
words “pensioner” and “retiree” reveal to us a deeper mystery that can only be
explained by, you’ve guessed it, Eastern dualist philosophy.
In the Orient, there is a traditional emphasis on the interconnectedness
between opposing natural forces. Taken
together, these dualities can be seen as complementary aspects of a greater
whole. Yin-Yang, Wu Wei, and In-Yo are
well-known concepts representing different interpretations of this philosophy. Less well known, but of greater importance to
our discussion today, is the “ee-er” duality, more commonly known as “Yankee-Dodger”
here in the West.
The Yankee-Dodger duality observes that, in English, nouns
ending in “ee” and “er” have a fundamental distinction in meaning and usage. More often than not, nouns that end in “ee”
represent the more passive element of any relationship pairing. External events or forces act upon the “ee”
without permission or recourse. When
applied to individual people, the connotation of these words is often negative. The classic example is “stuckee”; if you’ve
ever been one, you know how that feels.
Other examples include abductee (one who suffers an abduction), arrestee
(one who suffers an arrest), deportee (one who suffers a deportation), and
Yankee (one who receives undeserved benefits resulting from an unlimited
payroll, favorable umpire calls, and a ridiculously short right field porch.)
In contrast, nouns that end in “er” represent the more
active element of any relationship pairing.
As the initiator, the “er” brings the action to its environment. When applied to individual people, the
connotation of these words is often positive.
The runner runs, the lover loves, the winner wins (as does the Dodger),
and the reformer is always reforming.
We can learn valuable lessons by applying the “ee-er” philosophy to our previous discussion of “retiree” and “pensioner.”
- As an “ee”, the retiree is defined by the retirement event itself. A retiree undergoes retirement and is passively subject to it.
- As an “er”, the pensioner, as an active participant, is shaped by the choices he makes and the determination he brings to his retirement experience.
Dualist philosophy does not determine which of these perspectives
is right or wrong; rather, both contribute to a larger whole. Every person
encounters both viewpoints at different moments in retirement life. It’s true what they say: “Sometimes you’re
the Triscuit; sometimes you’re the squirt cheese.”
This brings us back full circle to Retirement Tip #17:
Retirement is not a Vacation. The
Briefing advises us to approach retirement as an active “er”, not a passive “ee”. The distinction drawn is one of direction. Vacations are inward-focused; they present an
opportunity for an individual to refresh, to recharge, to replenish one’s body
stores in preparation for another round of life. Retirement, on the other hand, is
another round of life, and is focused more on outwardly directed actions
performed to accomplish a purpose external to oneself.
Of course, there is undeniably significant overlap between
activities commonly enjoyed during both vacations and retirement, with travel
being a clear example. But to maintain
the distinction necessary to develop a retirement plan that prioritizes an
outward-focused purpose, The Briefing advises clearly defining the intent
behind each planned retirement activity.
For example, Joe’s first draft of a retirement plan might
read as follows:
- Travel to Hawaii.
- Learn a foreign language.
- Fix the toilet, clean out the attic, and paint the patio. Ugh.
Using guidance from The Briefing, Joe updates his retirement plan to explicitly incorporate an outward-focused purpose:
- To testify to God’s goodness to us in creation, and to marvel at His wisdom in creating processes that sustain our natural world, I will visit Hawaii.
- Desiring to show honor and respect to those I love for whom English is a second language, and to be less of a burden to them when I visit their native country, I will learn to speak conversational French.
- Recognizing that retirement has enabled more free time at home, and acknowledging that it is high time that I started pulling my weight around the house, I will go on a diet, starting tomorrow.
You see, if you start with purpose, the appropriate action
almost writes itself, with sometimes surprising results. Of course, Joe is far from done with this
second draft. In future posts, he will
learn about appropriately decomposing and allocating planned activities, instituting rolling-wave
planning windows, monitoring progress metrics, and a host of other tips that
will turn him from an “ee” to “er”. Stay
tuned!
One final bit of confusion to put to rest. In the preceding paragraphs, we mentioned,
however fleetingly, financial topics such as pensions and Social Security. It is best that we be quite clear on this
point: this blog series will provide absolutely no financial guidance
whatsoever. Our retirement planning will
be limited to how we live our post-career life: what will bring us meaning, which
activities we will pursue, what our daily routines will look like, and how we
will maintain a sense of identity and self-worth. These are the areas that our retirement plan will
address. We will not be discussing
money.
I understand that some of you are disappointed with this. You’ve read two entire retirement-focused blog
posts, and now you discover that we won’t be providing any retirement-based financial
advice. You want to know how much money
you must save. You want to know what
rate of return you can conservatively expect.
You want to know at what age you should begin collecting Social Security. You want to know these things because you have
a fear: you are afraid that you will outlive your money. And if you outlive your money, you are afraid
that you will become dependent on others and a burden to those you love.
I understand and share those fears; we are only human after
all. But I wonder. Haven’t we always been dependent on
others? And haven’t the ones who've loved us
always helped to carry our burdens? And
most importantly, shouldn’t it be our deepest hope, not fear, that we will ultimately
outlive all our money and earthly goods?
If you’re still not persuaded, then maybe yes, just this
once, I will give you a few investment tips.
If you’re investing the money yourself, I recommend infrastructure: railways
through Africa, dams across the Nile, fleets of ocean Greyhounds, majestic
self-amortizing canals, and (oh, it fires the imagination!) plantations of
ripening tea. Or if you’d rather not do
all that yourself, you can just let your Fund’s directors invest as propriety
demands.
Until next time,
David
5/21/25
PostScript. Since
this post focuses on language and definitions, it would be remiss of me not to
acknowledge the Venerable Sage of Grand Rapids, the Great Dave himself, who once
said to me, in his typically wise but non-judgmental way, “You know, there is
no word for ‘retiree’ in either Aramaic or Ancient Hebrew.” Hmm.
He who has ears, let him hear.
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