Living The Semi-Retired Life: Here's How My Blue Collar Dad Spends His Retirement
You can work on the farm or if you live in a city, help out at the hot dog stand
Probably because Father’s Day is approaching and he’s set to turn 89 this year, I’ve been thinking a lot about my Dad lately. Plus, his story relates to the last installment of the newsletter on blue collar work in semi-retirement and relative old age.
Living The Semi-Retired Life: What About Blue Collar Workers Who Need/Want To Work In Retirement?
Since I started writing about Living The Semi-Retired Life—particularly the Never Retire component—I receive questions about what to do if you’re a blue collar worker. This is what we cover in today’s installment. In case you’re new or haven’t opened this email in a while, my name is Rocco. I write a
In response to that story,
made this helpful contribution:My Dad was a steel worker, so while I have never been blue collar that is where my roots lie. As I read your ideas they certainly triggered a few of my own. I can tell you that getting small farm help is a real challenge. It just should not be so hard and yet it is.
I need someone flexible and dependable to step in. Most of us in the neighborhood here struggle to find that person. All kinds of skills work for small land holders - everything from help maintaining vehicles to simple labor, plumbing, electrician, basic building and fixing, and so on. A handful of small farms could keep a part time tradesman fairly busy.
Like you said "Take any line of work and think of as many second act iterations of that work." To me this is the golden message for everyone.
What Sue says relates directly to my Dad’s present day situation. While he is clearly slowing down as he approaches 90, his path out of full-time work can be instructive.
That’s my Dad and I taking in Niagara Falls last year.
It feels weird to see and hear my Dad slowing down.