, Em iy Ame tena wee pe] ery ane ne eeianaanaeaebapeiiantnie . , Pe Pa _ Learning about retirement should begin in the second grade r by Arlene Wilson ke red Mc M1 active| “Society has never granted Orman, assistant professor, WSC gerontology program. Professor Van Orman maintains children are more concerned with remaining parent. Walter McKain in ‘‘non-productive time” except for vacations. The role model presented in schools doesn’t allow us the privilege of going contrary to the ‘work -ethic’”’ and saying it’s okay not to make money and not to be working on goods and services, Professor Van Orman said. Yet an economist at Duke University, Juanita Kreps, suggests that by 2020 or 2030, 85 percent of the population will not be working at what we currently define as work. Only 15 percent will be employed in jobs as we know them. Today less than 7 percent are still on the farms, with 93 percent scattered into forms of work unknown at the turn of the century. ‘‘Between now and 2020 and 2030 an ethic will develop that will say it’s okay to spend less time working,’’ said Professor Van Orman. ‘‘We will have a modification of ethics and will look on those who work with the same kind of envy and favor as we look upon the jet set today.” Older people who are currently | retired are saying, “I have a lot of time now to do what I always wanted to do but I’d like to put some time in on a job.” Professor Van Orman foresees the time when people will retire from one career and do a modified career, maybe 10 hours 7 : a week. It will no longer be necessary to stay on a career where they are no longer happy. Retirement is much more demanding in its preparation than : it : Time together is quite ‘planned’ but when both are retired with an additional 60 hours a week together tt often puts two ‘strangers’ together ‘ull-time and places a great strain on a marriage. ‘Til death do us partyut not for lunch’ is truer than we snay realize.” fr age 6 older there will be less sexual | activity. Actually older people are active sexually and participate up to attitude that it’s not all right to do things for yourself,’”’ pointed out Professor Van Orman. “I’m their capacity. Continuance is an important factor. suggesting that partners in a People with varying interests including sports such as golfing, for me.’ ” swimming and handicrafts, literary skills, hobbies and collections, such as coins and stamps, retire with the to do more things alone than women, such as fishing, hunting and a night out bowling, or golfing. Women least amount of difficulty, observed Professor Van Orman. The broader the education and the wider the range of interests the better the adjustment. A broader understanding of the world around them extends the circle of friendships and the use of social skills. “Interests should be cultivated when we are employed fulltime and marriage test out doing things ‘just Men have traditionally been able ‘ need to find interests alone as wellthings that make them ‘“‘feel good.”’ “Tf in fact, our partner dies, we have pieces to work with. Too often we don’t allow ourselves ‘permission’ to cultivate our interests for ourselves, thereby developing it into a lifestyle that we can carry into retirement.” Men do need more than just the few traditional things they have in good health,” said Professor Van Orman. ‘If a couple anticipates traveling when they retire, but done, however. Professor Van Orman cited an example of false expectations about retirement. haven’t traveled, they may discover they don’t travel well with the person they don’t know very well.” He advises learning how to make trip reservations or how to “‘rough do when he retired. ‘“‘Go hunting,” he said. it’”’ before retirement so you'll know how- and don’t wait- too often one partner is no longer here to go. If something isn’t part of our lifestyle we won’t do it. energy denying they are a “Senior “In our society we have many couples in which both are employed. Roy Van Orman together than alone. A sexuality myth in American society is that as a person becomes Orman. Difficulties people face are the social components such as how to maintain contact with friends, learning to live ‘‘full-time’’ with a spouse, sex, Marriage, remarriage, uy a his study suggests that friends are much more help in remarriage than children and are supportative and more objective. Remarrying is effective. Two people are happier Professor Van Orman maintains that ‘‘old’’ must be changed from a divorce and separation. lasses at ree year: e ‘‘Webe their anticipated inheritance than they are about the social life of their insurance, said Professor Van merely dollars and cents and ds a stifi jing last death of a spouse, or divorce. Children of both the man and the woman get involved. Sometimes the retire as early as the second grade. What do we do when we retire? As a society we are never prepared ement dition is retirement, either because of the we need to begin learning how to to accept that it’s okay to spend _.... 7 ti Remarriage is often a factor in te permission to ‘retire’- consequently we have no role models as to what to do in retirement,’’ said Roy Van ‘negative’ so people will participate fully in programs for the “Senior Citizens.’’ Many people spend their Citizen,”’ claiming ‘‘middle age’’ and depriving themselves of rich opportunities. ‘‘We’ve been taught it’s selfish to do something just for ourselves and our personal pleasure and it’s really not fair. In retirement a lot of people are alone. How do you change the By. A successful potato farmer in Idado was asked what he planned to a —— That is 10 days. What about the other 355 days? “Go fishing.” ? Give that 5 days. What about the 350 left? “Farm a little.” Even taking 100 days for farming that still leaves 250 days a year for the man to do the other two things he had in mind for retirement- 4 4 7 polishing his gun and tying flies! Trying to create new interests ‘after’ retirement is very difficult, said Professor Van Orman. We are then on a limited budget. Everything we plan to do should be well incorporated into our lifestyle and investments of necessary equipment already made for hobbies, workshops, painting, sports, travel, etc. og I ™ "4 ‘‘People should it ideas of what is reali ; them personally. Wegsteas of what’s important iam television and newspimmay not be ‘where it’s at said.