Pushed into early retirement
Delilah, 52, believes that most married women considering early retirement would agree that if their working lives were more pleasant, or if more opportunities were open to them, that they would not be taking steps to get out of the rat race. They're effectively being pushed into it!
"Baby Boomers like me tended not to think too much about old age and now, thanks to ageism, it’s hit us for six," says Delilah. "While we were doing our own thing – making love, not war and generally participating in sharing, caring encounters – we never provided for our old age, did we?"
"We thought that the time to attend to saving for retirement was when we were in our 50s, at our earnings peak, when we no longer had mortgage payments and the children's education fees to worry about."
"Well," laughs Delilah, "here we are in our 50s and the ground has shifted from under our feet. The goalposts have moved and the young things have taken over!"
"Rather than being at our earnings peak, we are regarded as useless old women,” sighs Delilah, “and that is so cruel because I still consider myself to be young."
"I'm lucky in that I have a working husband who can afford to support me should I be forced to retire early," says Delilah, "but there are hundreds of thousands of women, married or not, who just can't afford to retire early."
"God help them!"
Read more about Delilah:
ageism and bitter pills
bitter pills and empty nests
breeding monsters
"Baby Boomers like me tended not to think too much about old age and now, thanks to ageism, it’s hit us for six," says Delilah. "While we were doing our own thing – making love, not war and generally participating in sharing, caring encounters – we never provided for our old age, did we?"
"We thought that the time to attend to saving for retirement was when we were in our 50s, at our earnings peak, when we no longer had mortgage payments and the children's education fees to worry about."
"Well," laughs Delilah, "here we are in our 50s and the ground has shifted from under our feet. The goalposts have moved and the young things have taken over!"
"Rather than being at our earnings peak, we are regarded as useless old women,” sighs Delilah, “and that is so cruel because I still consider myself to be young."
"I'm lucky in that I have a working husband who can afford to support me should I be forced to retire early," says Delilah, "but there are hundreds of thousands of women, married or not, who just can't afford to retire early."
"God help them!"
Read more about Delilah:
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