Experiences and perspectives of two retirees

Retirement Interview Analysis

Retirement is a period of life only made possible for large numbers of people by virtue of the tremendous improvement in human health in the last century. Prior to that, life expectancy for the average person was not much greater than their professionally productive years. Today, many people look forward to several decades of retirement after they leave the workforce. In many respects, the quality of life after retirement is a function of staying active and involved rather than withdrawing from active life (Ekerdt, 1986). In other respects, a fulfilling retirement is a function of advance planning, especially with respect to financial matters to ensure that retirement income is sufficient for the retirement lifestyle or plans of the individual.

Analysis of Interview Subject #1

This subject is a 74-year-old man who retired from a career in law enforcement at the age of 52 after working as a police officer for 27 years. Because his employing agency provides a generous pension plan, he never thought it necessary to put much thought into his retirement beyond calculating his anticipated retirement income in relation to his needs. He suffered periods of acute depression in the first decade after retirement, primarily because for the previous 27 years, his only social life consisted of his relationships with fellow police officers. That is a typical phenomenon in law enforcement (Schmalleger, 2009). After the initial period of acclimating to not having to go to work, he found himself bored and he lacked fulfillment. He experienced greater fulfillment during the first decade after he became a grandfather and he particularly enjoyed being more available to his grandchildren and more relaxed in his relationship with them than he had been with his own children. .

Analysis of Interview Subject #2

This subject is a 66-year-old female who describes her retirement as the most fulfilling time of her life. Between her pension and that of her husband, she is able to pay all of her living expenses and to live comfortably without working. However, she has been a volunteer museum guide for the last eight-year, almost since she retired from her job as an office manager. She describes her volunteer position as much more fulfilling than her professional career ever was because she was always very interested in art but unable to combine that interest with a professional source of income. She also describes having been able to enjoy a more active social life in retirement, because she has kept the same social circle of good friends that she had for many years. Unlike her husband (the male subject), she did not rely on her job for social fulfillment; consequently, she experienced no loss of companionship after retirement but was able to spend more time with her existing circle of friends.

Conclusion