Friday, April 21, 2017

“Working” after Retirement

Most people retire at 60.

Some retire even later 
– at 65 or 70.

And 
– some people do not retire at all.

But in the Navy/Army/AirForce 
– they pack you off on superannuation much earlier  you have to retire in your early 50s if you are an Officer  or even earlier – if you are a Sailor (aka PBOR/Soldier/Airman).

Now 
– what do you do when you retire so early...?

Either 
– you take up a second career and keep slogging.

Or 
– you sit at home and rumble and grumble. 

Well 
 that is what I have chosen to do  sit at home and carp, complain and grumble.

Let me share with you 
 Dear Reader  some of my grumblings... 

(I first wrote this piece sometime ago – a few years after I had retired from the Navy – but – the sutuation is still the same even today...)

RETIREMENT BLUES 


“WORKING” AFTER RETIREMENT

Grumblings of a Navy Veteran 

A Spoof
By
VIKRAM KARVE 

According to my wife  WORK means physical effort.

In her parlance  work is associated with physical labour

There must be some visible physical effort  some movement involved.

Yes – for her  physical movement is the key attribute which defines WORK.

That’s why – when I was in the Navy – my wife was very happy  since  according to her – I was “working” very hard. 

In the Navy – there is a lot of physical movement  everyone and everything is moving all the time – and  so was I – moving all the time.

There is a saying in the Navy:

If it moves  salute it

If it doesnt move  pick it up

If you cant pick it up  paint it

In the Navy (maybe in Army/AirForce too): 

Work is associated with Movement 

The more you were seen moving – the more hardworking you were considered. 

It did not matter whether you were achieving anything or not – you just had to keep moving.

So  since everyone wanted to appear hardworking – everyone was on the move all the time – saluting people  picking up things – and painting things that they could not pick up.

My wife loved to see me on the move all the time  and when I returned home physically exhausted after a hard day of “work”  she was convinced that I was working very hard. 

“I wish you had never retired...” my wife moans, “you just don’t do any work now-a-days. All you do is sit at home in front of your laptop whole day...”

“What about those “Techies – those IT Nerds...?” I ask, “they sit on their backsides all day in comfortable air-conditioned offices – they are transported back and forth to office in company buses – they have a relaxed 5 day week and all the perks – they don’t even have to lift a finger...”

“These IT “Techie Nerds – they earn loads of money...” a friend says.

Oh  so that’s the second definition of work.

WORK is associated with earning MONEY 

The more money you earn  the more you are working

The amount of work you do  is directly proportional – to the amount of money you earn.

That’s funny.

Physical Effort counts as “Work  whether you earn money or not

But 

Intellectual Effort does not count as “Work”  unless it earns you a lot of money

To put it in gobbledygook:

Physical Work and Money may be mutually independent of each other 

But – Intellectual Work and Money are mutually interdependent 

In fact – the quantum of intellectual work is measured the amount of money you earn for doing that work

Now-a-days – I am a wannabe writer/blogger. 

I spend my whole day reading, writing, surfing the internet and blogging – and in doing these activities – there is hardly any visible physical effort involved. 

So  in my wife’s parlance  don’t do any work – since no physical effort is involved.

Also  at present  my writing/blogging does not earn me any money. 

Yes  I have published a couple of books.

But – my books have not earned me much money  at least till now. 

I am an avid blogger and write a blog post almost every day.

Blogging does not earn me any money  since I have not monetized my blog. 

And the novel I am trying to write (my wife wonders whether it will ever see the light of day) – I don’t know whether or when it will earn me any money. 

So  as per the second definition too  I don’t do any work – since I don’t earn any money from my writing/blogging.

Yes – it is so simple. 

While I engage in creative writing and blogging:

1. I am not seen making any physical effort

and

2. I don’t make any money from my writing and blogging

So  as per the two definitions of work  I don’t do any work – QED. 

I am a lazy good-for-nothing guy – who is wasting my time and doing nothing.

Maybe – the novel I am writing will become a bestseller and earn me some money. 

Maybe – someone may buy the movie rights of my novel and I may rake in the moolah.

Maybe – my Blog may become famous and someone will offer me an attractive proposition or lucrative job.

Then – the “effort” I am putting in my writing will qualify as “work”.

Till then  as far as my darling “hard working” wife and “money making” friend are concerned – I don’t do any work

“You are such a qualified, experienced and talented guy. Why are you not working...? ”

 “Why do sit at home whole day doing nothing...? I am sure you can get a good job.” 

“As an Engineer, Designer, Manager, Consultant, even as a Professor – you don’t know your true worth – you can earn lots of money. So  why are you wasting your time...? Why don’t you do something  instead of sitting at home all day...?”

“Even if you want to write – the least you can do is write some professional stuff  instead of writing fiction. That will earn you some money, at least...”

I have to hear all these taunts – all the time  from all sorts of people.

Yes  it is true.

I have got many lucrative job offers. 

I can easily get a good job and “work” whole day.

But why don’t they understand...? 

I don’t want a “job”. 

I want to write fiction. 

I want to write a novel. 

I want to write stories.

I want to Blog.

I have found my “calling” – I have discovered my “metier”  my true vocation – Creative Writing and Blogging.

I want to spend the rest of life writing and blogging  surrounded by my books and my diaries in which I have made notes all these years  in front of my laptop  researching on the internet  hammering away at the keyboard – writing fiction – and Blogging away. 

I am living the life I always dreamt of living.

Yes  I am going to write.

I will write my novel.

I will write on my blog.

I will write short stories.

I will write whatever I want to write – but I am going to write – and blog – Bash on Regardless...!!! 

I am going to focus on writing what I like best  fiction.

Well  if you think I am wasting my time doing nothing – so be it.

To those who say that I don’t do any work  good luck to you.

I just don’t care what you say.

Because – I am going to be busy writing and blogging. 

I know that this is real hard work – and I am working harder than I ever worked in my whole life  though it is not visible to you – either by way of physical effort or earning money.

I will end with an anecdote, a true story, narrated by a famous writer.

The writer’s wife scolded him: 

“You say that you are a writer – but I hardly see you writing. Most of the time – you relax in your chair with your eyes closed...”

“My Dear Wife  I am “writing” all the time,” the writer said, “do you know what creative writing is...? Writing is 90% creative thinking – and only 10% – is the physical process of writing...”

PS: 

For those of you – who think I am doing nothing after my retirement – if you think I am wasting my time  I will tell you this: 

Just Google my name VIKRAM KARVE 

And  you will be surprised to see how much I have “worked” after my retirement. 

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
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© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:
1. This is a fictional spoof, satire, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh. 
2. These tips are based on my own experience and represent my personal views which may not be universal in nature and may not apply to you. You must make your own career decisions with due diligence. Also, do take this post with a sense of humor.
3. All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:
No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.
Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)
     
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
 

This is a revised and updated version of an article I wrote after I retired and have posted online a number of times including at urls: https://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/02/what-is-work-meaning-and-definition-of.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/12/retirement-blues-grumblings-of-retired.html etc

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