Thinking About the 'Non-Working Older Man' Problem! Work 3: 'The Regeneration of the Non-Working Older Man!' [Chapter 3]

—It is never too late. Reclaiming the 'meaning of work' once again—
[Chapter 3] 'A New Place to Belong, A New Way of Working'

1) Introduction: Post-retirement re-employment, community activities, side jobs, hobby-based work...
Just because you have reached retirement age does not mean your life has reached retirement.
That said, I do not think there is any need to continue the life of commuting at a fixed time every morning and doing assigned work as you did during your time as a company employee.
Stay at the company a little longer through post-retirement re-employment. Try participating in community activities.
Start a side job using your experience to date. Try turning a hobby into work.

There are surprisingly many options.
Since leaving the company, I have had more time to think, 'Well, what shall I do from now on?' If I were still active in the workforce, people might say, 'If you have time to think about such things, get to work,' but now I have no choice but to think for myself and decide for myself.
Of course, it is not easy. There are times when things do not go as planned when you try them.
Even so, searching for a way of working that is different from before might be the beginning of a new life.

2) Main Discussion: New challenges and discoveries in a 'world without titles'
The biggest change after quitting the company was that I no longer had a title.
When I was active, if I said, 'I am a company employee' or 'I work in sales,' that alone was enough to explain who I was.
However, once you leave the company, even if someone asks, 'What do you do?', it is a little difficult to answer.
At first, I sometimes felt lonely because of that.
However, there are parts of me that became free precisely because I lost my title.
This is because I can compete based on 'what I can do now' rather than company positions or past achievements.
After retiring, I am also taking on the challenge of web writing while learning AI.

Of course, I cannot learn at the same speed as young people. I make mistakes, and there are times when I want to retort to myself, 'You don't even know this?'
Even so, if I learn one thing, I am further ahead than I was yesterday. If someone reads the text I have written and evaluates it as work, that becomes a new source of confidence.
A world that I could not see when I was a company employee has gradually come into view.
I did not lose my title; I became able to test 'what I can do even without a title.'
Thinking of it that way, life after retirement is unexpectedly interesting.

3) Conclusion: Competing with the 'current self' rather than 'past glory'
When you have been a company employee for a long time, you inevitably drag your past achievements along with you.
'Back then, I increased sales by this much.'
'In the past, I had many subordinates.'
'I held a certain position at the company.'
I, too, find myself wanting to talk about the old days.
However, unfortunately, past glory will not do your current work for you.
Once you leave the company, your past titles and positions are reset. That is precisely why you have no choice but to compete with your 'current self' rather than your 'old self'.
Perhaps there are fewer things I can do than before. But there are also things I understand precisely because I have lived for many years. My experiences of failure and my experiences of feeling embarrassed might be useful to someone else.
There is no need to compete on the same playing field as young people.
My experience, my pace, what I can do.

I should just combine those to create a new place to belong.
I want to be 'someone who is still challenging themselves' rather than 'someone who used to be great.'
The competition in the second half of life is not about competing over past achievements.
Is today's self even one step ahead of yesterday's self?
I think that is enough.

*Photo: Grandchild at Disneyland 'Mickey's House and Meet Mickey'