What is Retirement?

What is retirement anyway? An AI overview basically told me it is when people stop working full-time and live off their savings, Social Security or whatever income they can get (paraphrase). I don't want to write a lot tonight because I want to read or watch a movie on Tubi-TV. I want to watch one about C.S. Lewis. I practically owe C.S. Lewis my decision to follow Jesus after I read his book Mere Christianity. The snow hasn't started yet either. So I've just been looking at online "news" and Facebook and being entertained and disgusted, and thought I'd better do something else before I develop severe nausea. I am so sick of what is called "news" these days. For anyone old enough to remember Jerry Springer, I credit him with getting the ball rolling with the disgusting garbage on TV where everyone's dirty laundry was exposed. And there used to be the National Enquirer. Now apparently, all "news" is gossip, crime and anything else titillating. Apparently, the public has a great hunger for that sort of thing, that and political propaganda. It's all blather anymore, and the less I see of it the better. I was going to talk about retirement. All I really wanted to say about it is I don't think it will ever happen to me. In fact, the truth is, I'm retired now. That is, I work every day, but not eight hours. I work six and a half hours a day and it is full time. If I wasn't doing this I might be substituting, or I might find another part-time job, but I'm telling you, I am seeing more and more people retiring and continuing to work than ever before. Used to be, people retired and stopped working and managed without getting another job or being a millionnaire. But times have changed. Even my financial advisor told me that's the trend nowadays. Why is that? Another example, a house used to cost about $10,000, now that same house costs $100,000 or even $200,000. Why is that? I can't tell you exactly because I don't know anything about economics. All I know is I have worked all my life, but I can't retire. I will always have to work or find some way to earn income. There is no way I am going to live off savings, investments and Social Security. It is just impossible. All I know is I will work until I can't anymore, at which time I will be helpless. As long as I can get up and get to work, I will be doing that. As soon as I can't anymore we will see what happens, but retirement is not something I envision myself ever doing. I am alreadiy way past "retirement age," for one thing. I have not fit into many molds that other people I know may fit into. I was never a cheerleader, never joined a sorority, and never made a lot of money or married anyone with a lot of money. I never inherited any money. I am not entrepreneurial. I cannot self-promote, and I cannot fundraise. All I can do is work and I have for the past 23 years or so, been working in education. That's what I do. In other words, I serve. I don't know how servants get to retire, I just know that I don't expect to be doing it any time soon. More power to you, if you can. Maybe you should write a book. I'll buy it if you do. Have a good weekend. Winter Storm Watch so far not much to see in these parts, thank God. I hope you are staying safe and warm. Goodnight.