Wednesday 10 June 2009

Question: is retirement harder for feminists?

9-50 am:
I have been retired now for nearly two years. I still don't like it, even tho' I have done a fair amount of contract work in that time. I do not like the loss of challenge, the loss of status, the loss of income, the loss of feeling part of the 'real' world.

But - you may say - you have surely gained. If you were not retired - you could not sail around and sit in harbours, pondering blogs, eating and drinking. This is true - and I would reply that I would rather have my working life back, especially how it was before the partial destruction of the University system c. 1994. I would exchange what I did then for even the good things about the now.

Question:- Is it harder for feminists to take to retirement than other people? Did we have to fight to get a career and thus find it hard to give up what was long fought for?

2 comments:

Nick and Jo Ennion said...

Hi Lorna,
If you are contemplating being stuck in Wells for the weekend why not get on a bus (or several) and come down to us for the weekend. It is the Brightlingsea regatta and great fun. There will be boats and brilliant music on the dockside in the evening and a Parade of Sail on the Sunday which we will be sailing in if the weather is not too bad. Come down to us and have a bath and some good food and company and some fun sailing again. Nick could pick you up from Bury St Edmunds or Ipswich or Sudbury - wherever you can get to. Do let us know.
Will email you as well - did you get earlier email with all our telephone numbers?
Love Jo

sarah said...

Took my Dad a good couple of years to get used to retirement, esp as my Mum was still working.