By Kathy Hendricks
My son is a film editor and so his portfolio is a web site containing clips from the various films and television shows on which he has worked. Some, he explains, are “for the meal” and others are “for the reel.” In other words, there is a difference between the work he has done for pragmatic purposes and that which feeds his creative interests.
One of the great benefits of retirement is the freedom I have to choose work “for the reel.” I am fortunate enough to take on work these days that feeds my soul, stimulates my mind, and keeps me engaged with something interesting and rewarding. This blog falls within that framework. Barbara and I agreed from the very beginning that, should the blog become more of a burden than a joy, we would discontinue it. As such, it continues to be a labor of love.
It is worth reflecting on how work factors into our culture, especially as we just celebrated a holiday dedicated to those who labor. Retirement is seen as a goal in which one no longer needs to maintain a job, run a business, or pursue a career. Even so, it does not necessarily mean the end of work. As Barbara put it so succinctly in her book, Entering the Next Stage with Grace: A Spiritual Approach to Retirement: “Sometimes the motivation to continue work is a financial necessity. However, others are motivated because of the enjoyment they receive from it.”
The work I do these days entails a great deal of the enjoyment factor. Caring for my two young grandchildren while their parents tend to their jobs is simultaneously exhausting and joyous. Facilitating courses for Boston College’s CSTM Crossroads program keeps me intellectually stimulated and engaged with people from other parts of the country and the world. Editing books for Twenty-Third Publications hones my own skills as a writer. Crocheting, singing in a women’s chorus, and discovering new recipes for cooking and baking are all forms of labor that I had to put aside during the days of a full-time job and the traveling that went with it. The “for the reel” kind of work is something I cherish at this still-blooming time of life.
Response
By Barbara Anne Radtke
Kathy, last week I woke up every day thinking it was Saturday. In a blink of an eye, I focused on the correct day of the week, but, by the third day, I wondered why I was in a “Saturday frame of mind” at each waking. Then, I realized that, during my life of “work for the meal,” Saturday was always the day that was freest, that I could structure the way I wanted to create it, that my husband and I could go on a spontaneous drive or go to a movie. I had a Saturday frame of mind because retirement gave me the freedom, in a way I had not had it before, to structure a week and a season.
The choices I make in using my retirement time are not without tedium, but they are with a different purpose. I like your emphasis on creativity, nourishing the soul, and having rewards. With a purpose that embraces those aspects, a little tedium feels very different than that invoked by those obligations “for the meal.”
As I write this, I know I am coming from a place twice privileged. I spent my career in work places that had opportunities for creativity and feeding the soul. These experiences helped me create the skill set to discern how to use the freedom of time. They also paid benefits and a wage that allowed me to have a retirement income beyond Social Security. The responsibilities of helping employees be prepared for retirement includes but also exceeds fiscal planning.
Finally, Kathy, I am so happy to hear that creating this blog is “for the reel.” It is for me, too!
Dear Readers: What “for the reel” work do you enjoy these days?
© Photo by Ron Hendricks - Used with permission
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