Life, as I knew it, changed dramatically on December 11th during an outrageous ice storm here in Rindge, New Hampshire. All through the night we heard cracks like gunshot as limbs bent and snapped under the weight of the ice and snow. The lights flickered on and off several times before going out completely.
In all my 59 years I have never lived without electricity for more than a day or two. Even when I went camping, I stayed in places that had showers with hot water...and it was summertime.
This was something totally different.
We had no electricity for nine days and no phone for six days. Having no electricity meant having no heat, lights or running water.
Unfortunately we don't have a wood stove or fireplace, so we were reduced to using a kerosene heater to try to keep the house warm enough to prevent the pipes from freezing. We turned the heater off at night so we wouldn't accidentally die of carbon monoxide poisoning while we slept. When I'd wake up in the morning, the house would be 42 or 43 degrees Fahrenheit. Chilly to say the least! In the evenings, we'd run the heater, make coffee, soup, and hot chocolate over Sterno cans, and light candles everywhere. The warmest we got the house was 56 degrees.
Our neighbors have a generator and generously allowed all the neighbors to use an outdoor faucet at their house for water. Still, it meant hauling water in jugs and buckets at all hours of the day and night.
For a day or two, living life as though we were in the 19th Century was not only challenging; it was also a bit romantic. By day three; it got old.
Talking about being sent back in time doesn't really do the experience justice. I don't know if I'm capable of articulating what I lived through...how it felt...
I'll try again later...
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
A letter to Marion Stoddard
Dear Ms. Stoddard,
This is an "open letter" that I posted on my blog and intend to send to you. I hope you don't mind my making my personal letter to you public, but I hope after you read through it, you'll understand and excuse me.
You don't know me, but I used to live in Groton on Hayden Road about 20 years ago. I joined the NRWA after attending a lecture on the life of indigenous turtles. I was drawn to the lecture because I had observed Box Turtles and Painted Turtles crossing my yard to get to the swamp across the street.
I believe I bought a couple of books on turtles after the lecture and also joined NRWA.
There was construction going on at the end of Hayden Road and the construction crews killed many of the turtles in the road. Someone in the neighborhood put up Turtle X-ing signs, but I don't think it helped much.
When I actually caught a turtle in the process of crossing the road, I would stop my car and guard its passage.
This ridiculous behavior gave me plenty of time to think. Mostly what I would think about was that, based on their size, some of these turtles were probably about the same age as I was at the time. I'd also wonder if the turtle survived crossing in one direction, would it make it going the other way?
These turtles had been crossing that same ground for as many years as I'd been on the Earth. They had survived the change from a few cottages and farmland to the first couple of housing developments. Now, they were being decimated because they couldn't change their paths or their habits.
I wonder if any of the turtles I saw cross the road are still alive?
After joining the NRWA, I learned about what you did to bring the Nashua River back to life. The legend at the time was that in mid-life, you looked for a cause, a purpose to your life, and decided that you would bring the Nashua River back to life. What an inspiration!
I have often thought of that lesson. I'm still looking for my legacy cause and hope I will find the strength and passion to serve it well. I've had causes, but not the legacy one yet.
I still consider myself mid-life, though I'm 59 years old. To be completely honest, I feel bewildered by the expectation of people in my industry that I'm close to retirement. I started a graduate program in computer science at Fitchburg State when I was 53. I did it to maintain relevance in my field. It hasn't helped my career very much but I really enjoyed it. Now, if I could just finish my thesis...
I'm struggling with who I am now. Am I more or less? Am I like the turtle who just HAS to keep crossing the road; threatened with being mowed down by forces never encountered before?
I have always written as a form of therapy, but it has usually been informal with no particular topic as the focus. When I moved to Rindge, NH in 1999, I joined the Monadnock Writers Group. I confess that I am mostly a "writer groupie," but lately I've been doing a lot of writing. Probably a reflection of how disturbed I am with my situation.
I started blogging partly as a way of exploring writing and partly to prove to myself that I can still be "relevant." So far, I think only my daughter actually reads my posts, but I'm enjoying the process thoroughly.
In the process of writing and feeling a bit discouraged by a futile search for a better job, I thought of you. Or should I say, I thought of you as the legend I'd heard about.
I decided that I would research and write about women who took up a cause or realized a major accomplishment beginning later in life. I figure I might learn something that will make me feel more hopeful and just going through the exercise will be inspiring. I plan to write about you and Doris Haddock to start.
When I actually started doing online research, I realized that you were far from being middle-aged when you started. I estimate that you could only be 35 years old. So, it's not exactly the story I expected; an empty nest, a search for a cause and fulfillment.
But, as I thought about it, the story seemed even more wonderful. It seems, from what I read, that the cause found you. The time wasn't convenient; you had young children. You and your family made sacrifices for the Nashua River.
Then, I had all these questions. Did you THINK you were middle-aged at 35? Is that how the legend started? Who was Marion Stoddard before she moved to Groton? Were you interested in the environment as a young person growing up?
I hope it's not an imposition to ask these questions? You may reply either by email or by calling me. If you prefer, you can post a comment to my blog at: http://patmartin2894@blogspot.com
Thank you so much in advance for any consideration you may give my request.
Sincerely,
Pat Martin
This is an "open letter" that I posted on my blog and intend to send to you. I hope you don't mind my making my personal letter to you public, but I hope after you read through it, you'll understand and excuse me.
You don't know me, but I used to live in Groton on Hayden Road about 20 years ago. I joined the NRWA after attending a lecture on the life of indigenous turtles. I was drawn to the lecture because I had observed Box Turtles and Painted Turtles crossing my yard to get to the swamp across the street.
I believe I bought a couple of books on turtles after the lecture and also joined NRWA.
There was construction going on at the end of Hayden Road and the construction crews killed many of the turtles in the road. Someone in the neighborhood put up Turtle X-ing signs, but I don't think it helped much.
When I actually caught a turtle in the process of crossing the road, I would stop my car and guard its passage.
This ridiculous behavior gave me plenty of time to think. Mostly what I would think about was that, based on their size, some of these turtles were probably about the same age as I was at the time. I'd also wonder if the turtle survived crossing in one direction, would it make it going the other way?
These turtles had been crossing that same ground for as many years as I'd been on the Earth. They had survived the change from a few cottages and farmland to the first couple of housing developments. Now, they were being decimated because they couldn't change their paths or their habits.
I wonder if any of the turtles I saw cross the road are still alive?
After joining the NRWA, I learned about what you did to bring the Nashua River back to life. The legend at the time was that in mid-life, you looked for a cause, a purpose to your life, and decided that you would bring the Nashua River back to life. What an inspiration!
I have often thought of that lesson. I'm still looking for my legacy cause and hope I will find the strength and passion to serve it well. I've had causes, but not the legacy one yet.
I still consider myself mid-life, though I'm 59 years old. To be completely honest, I feel bewildered by the expectation of people in my industry that I'm close to retirement. I started a graduate program in computer science at Fitchburg State when I was 53. I did it to maintain relevance in my field. It hasn't helped my career very much but I really enjoyed it. Now, if I could just finish my thesis...
I'm struggling with who I am now. Am I more or less? Am I like the turtle who just HAS to keep crossing the road; threatened with being mowed down by forces never encountered before?
I have always written as a form of therapy, but it has usually been informal with no particular topic as the focus. When I moved to Rindge, NH in 1999, I joined the Monadnock Writers Group. I confess that I am mostly a "writer groupie," but lately I've been doing a lot of writing. Probably a reflection of how disturbed I am with my situation.
I started blogging partly as a way of exploring writing and partly to prove to myself that I can still be "relevant." So far, I think only my daughter actually reads my posts, but I'm enjoying the process thoroughly.
In the process of writing and feeling a bit discouraged by a futile search for a better job, I thought of you. Or should I say, I thought of you as the legend I'd heard about.
I decided that I would research and write about women who took up a cause or realized a major accomplishment beginning later in life. I figure I might learn something that will make me feel more hopeful and just going through the exercise will be inspiring. I plan to write about you and Doris Haddock to start.
When I actually started doing online research, I realized that you were far from being middle-aged when you started. I estimate that you could only be 35 years old. So, it's not exactly the story I expected; an empty nest, a search for a cause and fulfillment.
But, as I thought about it, the story seemed even more wonderful. It seems, from what I read, that the cause found you. The time wasn't convenient; you had young children. You and your family made sacrifices for the Nashua River.
Then, I had all these questions. Did you THINK you were middle-aged at 35? Is that how the legend started? Who was Marion Stoddard before she moved to Groton? Were you interested in the environment as a young person growing up?
I hope it's not an imposition to ask these questions? You may reply either by email or by calling me. If you prefer, you can post a comment to my blog at: http://patmartin2894@blogspot.com
Thank you so much in advance for any consideration you may give my request.
Sincerely,
Pat Martin
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
You HAVE to watch this video!!!
My friend, Bobbie, sent it to me...just at the right moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MslbhDZoniY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MslbhDZoniY
Change.org: non-Millennials need not apply
Well, I wanted to write more about Marion Stoddard...and I will. I just came up with so many questions...what did she do before she got married and had children...where did she grow up, etc? So, I wrote to the NRWA asking for more information. They may answer me...or I may have to find people in Groton who know her better than I did. I will get back to her story.
Tonight, I'm not feeling my usual optimistic self. Tonight, I feel every bit my age and discouraged.
I've been hounding change.org to include disability rights in their top agenda items. I mean, they did start with some issues that they felt were not negotiable: End Homelessness, End the War in Iraq, etc.
Change.gov (the official site of the Obama-Biden Transition Team) has had disability rights in the top 24 from the beginning.
Change.org is supposed to be the companion citizen site. Except it's not.
Change.org is the 'Y' generation or Millennials site for social entrepreneurship. It took me a lot longer than it should have for me to get the hint. The site is designed to be the voice of a generation....not mine.
I don't mean to bad-mouth them. I think the discussions and humanitarian drive...and problem solving is terrific. I like the writing and the issues (except for not including disability rights), but between Alex Steed's FEATURED blog and the age of all the bloggers; I realize that the site is NOT for EVERYONE.
I wrote both to Ben Rattay, the 28 year old founder, and Alex Steed, the 25 year old blogger. Rattay has never answered me and Steed carefully explained that while there MAY be older people like myself using the Internet for Social Activism, he was interested in helping HIS generation find their identity and wasn't interested in speaking with anyone but Millenials about Online Activism.
I guess the fact that I feel disappointed means that I really liked the site.
Take a minute and go to: http://millennials.change.org/blog/view/old_people_stop_excluding_us_because_were_old
It's not that we're old, Alex. It's that we're not young (white, rich, christian, straight...yeah) and so don't fit into your "club." Of course, I'm being facetious, but until you've experienced ageism or sexism, you probably wouldn't understand what I'm talking about.
So, that's why I'm feeling rather down tonight. The concept behind Change.org really appealed to me...now I feel like an idiot for getting all charged up and sending my "idea" to all my contacts. Yeah, I probably won't get kicked out, but I'll be aggressively ignored.
Now that I've got this off my chest, I think I can move on...
Tonight, I'm not feeling my usual optimistic self. Tonight, I feel every bit my age and discouraged.
I've been hounding change.org to include disability rights in their top agenda items. I mean, they did start with some issues that they felt were not negotiable: End Homelessness, End the War in Iraq, etc.
Change.gov (the official site of the Obama-Biden Transition Team) has had disability rights in the top 24 from the beginning.
Change.org is supposed to be the companion citizen site. Except it's not.
Change.org is the 'Y' generation or Millennials site for social entrepreneurship. It took me a lot longer than it should have for me to get the hint. The site is designed to be the voice of a generation....not mine.
I don't mean to bad-mouth them. I think the discussions and humanitarian drive...and problem solving is terrific. I like the writing and the issues (except for not including disability rights), but between Alex Steed's FEATURED blog and the age of all the bloggers; I realize that the site is NOT for EVERYONE.
I wrote both to Ben Rattay, the 28 year old founder, and Alex Steed, the 25 year old blogger. Rattay has never answered me and Steed carefully explained that while there MAY be older people like myself using the Internet for Social Activism, he was interested in helping HIS generation find their identity and wasn't interested in speaking with anyone but Millenials about Online Activism.
I guess the fact that I feel disappointed means that I really liked the site.
Take a minute and go to: http://millennials.change.org/blog/view/old_people_stop_excluding_us_because_were_old
It's not that we're old, Alex. It's that we're not young (white, rich, christian, straight...yeah) and so don't fit into your "club." Of course, I'm being facetious, but until you've experienced ageism or sexism, you probably wouldn't understand what I'm talking about.
So, that's why I'm feeling rather down tonight. The concept behind Change.org really appealed to me...now I feel like an idiot for getting all charged up and sending my "idea" to all my contacts. Yeah, I probably won't get kicked out, but I'll be aggressively ignored.
Now that I've got this off my chest, I think I can move on...
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Marion Stoddard of Groton, MA
I'm starting this pretty late at night, so it will probably just be a first installment.
I first heard of Marion Stoddard when I was living in Groton, MA about 20 years ago. I'd just joined the Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA) because I was fascinated by the turtles that crossed through my yard on the way to the swamp across the street. The NRWA was hosting a speaker on the types, habits, and lives of indigenous turtles.
Of course, it turns out that my memory of the life of Marion Stoddard, isn't especially accurate. I'll tell you my impressions before I tell you the actual facts of her accomplishments.
I heard that at one time, back in the sixties and seventies, the Nashua River was dead. It actually ran in different colors...red, blue, and green, depending on what dyes were being used in the factories upstream. There were no fish, no life, and the river stank so badly that there were actually signs warning motorists of the horrible smell along Route 119.
Marion Stoddard had just moved to Groton with her family and lived by the banks of the river.
Marion decided that, if it took her the rest of her life, she was going to bring that river back to life. She organized people, found grant money, and built the organization: http://www.nashuariverwatershed.org/.
She also saw the river cleaned up. Today, aged 80, she still plays an active role in NWRA and enjoys kayaking in the Nashua's clean clear waters.
My impression was that she took up this cause in mid-life, after her children were grown. I understood that it became her "raison d'Etre," her legacy. http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072919833/student_view0/chapter15/additional_case_studies.html
In fact, Marion Stoddard's children were still quite young when she began her quest forty-five years ago.
Well, it's getting late and my Internet connection seems to be getting slower. Here's the link: http://www.utne.com/2002-08-01/ForMarionStoddardCreatingHopeisanObligation.aspx I think she was in her mid 30's when she began her campaign to save the river. Not nearly middle age by today's standards.
I'll write more about her tomorrow night. Good night!
I first heard of Marion Stoddard when I was living in Groton, MA about 20 years ago. I'd just joined the Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA) because I was fascinated by the turtles that crossed through my yard on the way to the swamp across the street. The NRWA was hosting a speaker on the types, habits, and lives of indigenous turtles.
Of course, it turns out that my memory of the life of Marion Stoddard, isn't especially accurate. I'll tell you my impressions before I tell you the actual facts of her accomplishments.
I heard that at one time, back in the sixties and seventies, the Nashua River was dead. It actually ran in different colors...red, blue, and green, depending on what dyes were being used in the factories upstream. There were no fish, no life, and the river stank so badly that there were actually signs warning motorists of the horrible smell along Route 119.
Marion Stoddard had just moved to Groton with her family and lived by the banks of the river.
Marion decided that, if it took her the rest of her life, she was going to bring that river back to life. She organized people, found grant money, and built the organization: http://www.nashuariverwatershed.org/.
She also saw the river cleaned up. Today, aged 80, she still plays an active role in NWRA and enjoys kayaking in the Nashua's clean clear waters.
My impression was that she took up this cause in mid-life, after her children were grown. I understood that it became her "raison d'Etre," her legacy. http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072919833/student_view0/chapter15/additional_case_studies.html
In fact, Marion Stoddard's children were still quite young when she began her quest forty-five years ago.
Well, it's getting late and my Internet connection seems to be getting slower. Here's the link: http://www.utne.com/2002-08-01/ForMarionStoddardCreatingHopeisanObligation.aspx I think she was in her mid 30's when she began her campaign to save the river. Not nearly middle age by today's standards.
I'll write more about her tomorrow night. Good night!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Going commercial...?
Well, this is probably silly stuff. As far as I can tell, my daughter is the only person who has ever read this blog.
Still, because I'm convinced that a lot of the issues that face people who happen to be over 50, non-white, female, or disabled has to do with how they are represented in the mainstream media and advertising; I've decided to try an experiment.
Google AdSense offers to help you earn money blogging by allowing ads to run on your site. They say that the ads will reflect the content of your blog. I signed up the other day, but understand that it will take 3 days to a week before my account is activated.
I can't wait to see what products and services will be suggested for my blog. It better not include Depends!!!
Speaking of blogs...
I started a campaign on change.org to promote disability rights as the last frontier of civil rights on their website. Thankfully change.gov and the Obama-Biden transition team's agenda has disability rights on the front page of their agenda site as part of their top 24! See http://change.gov/agenda/ and then click on disabilities (after admiring that it is right there with the top 24 items) to go to http://change.gov/agenda/disabilities_agenda/
I've been pretty disappointed in the response to my campaign. I emailed a link to 150 people in my contact list, asking them to forward it on to their networks; only 23 votes so far. Jeesh! Either I'm just unpopular, didn't word the message properly, or my friends don't read their emails.
If you get a moment, this is the url for my cause: http://www.change.org/ideas/view/disability_rights-_the_last_frontier_of_civil_rights. Please vote to move this cause up on the change.org agenda. Comment if you like it or if you think I'm full of beans. I'm not proud, but I do want to be effective.
I also applied to change.org for a part-time position as a blogger. I asked to be a voice for disability rights. It really does seem like a long-shot, but I figured I'd give it a whirl.
One of the neatest things I discovered online today was Josh Blue's blog. It's pretty low-key, but powerful. He's a comedian with cerebral palsy (CP) who won the "Last Comic Standing" contest last year. He's hysterical! His blog is sponsored by United Cerebral Palsy and is part of their "Life without Limits" campaign. Visit it if you get a chance: http://joshblue.typepad.com/joshblue/
Still, because I'm convinced that a lot of the issues that face people who happen to be over 50, non-white, female, or disabled has to do with how they are represented in the mainstream media and advertising; I've decided to try an experiment.
Google AdSense offers to help you earn money blogging by allowing ads to run on your site. They say that the ads will reflect the content of your blog. I signed up the other day, but understand that it will take 3 days to a week before my account is activated.
I can't wait to see what products and services will be suggested for my blog. It better not include Depends!!!
Speaking of blogs...
I started a campaign on change.org to promote disability rights as the last frontier of civil rights on their website. Thankfully change.gov and the Obama-Biden transition team's agenda has disability rights on the front page of their agenda site as part of their top 24! See http://change.gov/agenda/ and then click on disabilities (after admiring that it is right there with the top 24 items) to go to http://change.gov/agenda/disabilities_agenda/
I've been pretty disappointed in the response to my campaign. I emailed a link to 150 people in my contact list, asking them to forward it on to their networks; only 23 votes so far. Jeesh! Either I'm just unpopular, didn't word the message properly, or my friends don't read their emails.
If you get a moment, this is the url for my cause: http://www.change.org/ideas/view/disability_rights-_the_last_frontier_of_civil_rights. Please vote to move this cause up on the change.org agenda. Comment if you like it or if you think I'm full of beans. I'm not proud, but I do want to be effective.
I also applied to change.org for a part-time position as a blogger. I asked to be a voice for disability rights. It really does seem like a long-shot, but I figured I'd give it a whirl.
One of the neatest things I discovered online today was Josh Blue's blog. It's pretty low-key, but powerful. He's a comedian with cerebral palsy (CP) who won the "Last Comic Standing" contest last year. He's hysterical! His blog is sponsored by United Cerebral Palsy and is part of their "Life without Limits" campaign. Visit it if you get a chance: http://joshblue.typepad.com/joshblue/
Friday, December 5, 2008
Help Wanted: Energetic Network Workstation Administrator
This is something I wrote to the Keene Sentinel's editor:
This article is not about the election. It’s about what happens after the election.
Once the ballots are cast, the choice is made, and victory declared, we still need to lift our country out of the mess it’s fallen into.
The cure for all that ails us will not come only through legislation or pretty speeches; we will need to work together and make sacrifices as generations of Americans before us have done in times of crises.One area of concern is Social Security.
At 59, I could retire in three years. My Social Security payments would actually be sufficient for my needs, even if I take early retirement.My health care needs are already met by virtue of being a veteran enrolled in the VA health care system.
And yet...
I began a master’s program in computer science at the age of 53. I’ve finished all my classes, but still have to finish my thesis (I have a tendency to procrastinate ... sigh). My grade point average is 3.83. I’m not saying this to brag, only to make the point that my brain seems to be functioning pretty well and I can be competitive with people decades younger. I didn't start a graduate program at 53 only to retire at 62.
And yet ...
I recently applied for a job in Peterborough as a network workstation administrator. The basic requirement was an associates degree and two years of experience.There was a code word in the job advertisement though: “Energetic.” My guess is that it actually means young.
I received a phone call from the company during which I was told that my resume “stood out.”I explained that I was looking for an opportunity to expand my experience in IT and was so happy to receive the call.
Unfortunately, a few days later, I received a letter stating that they appreciated my interest, but would continue their search for the “right” candidate.
Twenty years ago I would have been a shoo-in for that job.
I have to ask: Does it make any sense to discourage older workers by denying them opportunity, by assuming that they are unwilling or unable to make significant contributions to the workplace?
We are faced with the dilemma of baby-boomers, expected to live longer and be more active than any generation we’ve ever known, retiring 10 to 20 years earlier than is necessary and drawing on the Social Security system. Current projections show that the Social Security trust fund will be exhausted by 2042.
I suspect that sometime well before that, young people will become very upset with a system that they are expected to pay into without any hope of return.
I know that people experience age differently and for some people early retirement is a necessity. I am not criticizing them. Nor am I proposing that the age for eligibility for Social Security be increased.
I’m just saying that if I’m physically and mentally able to continue working and making contributions, why make it miserable for me and my cohorts?
Why treat us as if our only career path is to wind up a greeter at a Wal-Mart?
It annoys me enough that I’m tempted to just give in and fill my life with diversions and let Social Security pay for my extended vacation.
And yet ...
It seems to me that the patriotic and responsible thing to do is for older workers, who are able, to continue contributing to our society, boosting our economy and paying into the system so that if our children should need it, the money will be there.
For that to happen, the workplace needs to become a bit “older worker” friendly. My sincere hope is that this letter will help start a public discussion of ways to retain and reward older workers with opportunity and a sense of relevancy in a culture that glorifies youth.
Yes, youth is glorious, but as Browning said, “... Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid! ....”
Posted by Patricia Martin on 11/08/2008 @ 05:50PM PST
This article is not about the election. It’s about what happens after the election.
Once the ballots are cast, the choice is made, and victory declared, we still need to lift our country out of the mess it’s fallen into.
The cure for all that ails us will not come only through legislation or pretty speeches; we will need to work together and make sacrifices as generations of Americans before us have done in times of crises.One area of concern is Social Security.
At 59, I could retire in three years. My Social Security payments would actually be sufficient for my needs, even if I take early retirement.My health care needs are already met by virtue of being a veteran enrolled in the VA health care system.
And yet...
I began a master’s program in computer science at the age of 53. I’ve finished all my classes, but still have to finish my thesis (I have a tendency to procrastinate ... sigh). My grade point average is 3.83. I’m not saying this to brag, only to make the point that my brain seems to be functioning pretty well and I can be competitive with people decades younger. I didn't start a graduate program at 53 only to retire at 62.
And yet ...
I recently applied for a job in Peterborough as a network workstation administrator. The basic requirement was an associates degree and two years of experience.There was a code word in the job advertisement though: “Energetic.” My guess is that it actually means young.
I received a phone call from the company during which I was told that my resume “stood out.”I explained that I was looking for an opportunity to expand my experience in IT and was so happy to receive the call.
Unfortunately, a few days later, I received a letter stating that they appreciated my interest, but would continue their search for the “right” candidate.
Twenty years ago I would have been a shoo-in for that job.
I have to ask: Does it make any sense to discourage older workers by denying them opportunity, by assuming that they are unwilling or unable to make significant contributions to the workplace?
We are faced with the dilemma of baby-boomers, expected to live longer and be more active than any generation we’ve ever known, retiring 10 to 20 years earlier than is necessary and drawing on the Social Security system. Current projections show that the Social Security trust fund will be exhausted by 2042.
I suspect that sometime well before that, young people will become very upset with a system that they are expected to pay into without any hope of return.
I know that people experience age differently and for some people early retirement is a necessity. I am not criticizing them. Nor am I proposing that the age for eligibility for Social Security be increased.
I’m just saying that if I’m physically and mentally able to continue working and making contributions, why make it miserable for me and my cohorts?
Why treat us as if our only career path is to wind up a greeter at a Wal-Mart?
It annoys me enough that I’m tempted to just give in and fill my life with diversions and let Social Security pay for my extended vacation.
And yet ...
It seems to me that the patriotic and responsible thing to do is for older workers, who are able, to continue contributing to our society, boosting our economy and paying into the system so that if our children should need it, the money will be there.
For that to happen, the workplace needs to become a bit “older worker” friendly. My sincere hope is that this letter will help start a public discussion of ways to retain and reward older workers with opportunity and a sense of relevancy in a culture that glorifies youth.
Yes, youth is glorious, but as Browning said, “... Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid! ....”
Posted by Patricia Martin on 11/08/2008 @ 05:50PM PST
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