Religion and Retirement

 I love teaching and it appears I am doing it well.  So, why am I wrestling with retirement and what does retirement have to do with teaching religion? 

I grew up in the 1960’s.  We knew anyone who was over thirty had sold out to “the system” and was morally corrupt.  Simon and Garfunkel sang “How terribly strange to be seventy.”  Bob Dylan told us, “The times they are a changin.” We were young then and knew we would always be young.  But, we were wrong.  We all got old and here we are looking at each other and wondering what happened?  

I have colleagues and friends who have retired.  Some tell me they are enjoying not going to work.  Retirement for them means withdrawing from their occupation for the sake of privacy, rest and recreation. 

Retirement is a state of mind. It’s only been around for a little over a hundred years.   If you think you’re getting old and if you’re tired of what you’re doing and if you have enough money, I suppose you can withdraw and do something else.  I get it.  I respect it.

But I don’t understand retirement.

My teaching isn’t a job.  It’s a vocation, a calling, a passion if not from God then from my own soul.  There are questions which haunt me, which I am compelled to pursue.  And teaching students to think well, letting them know “attention must be paid” to such questions, is vital. And the pursuit of these questions keeps me alive!

I know, retirement is a very individual matter.  It seems people know when they know, it’s time.  And I know a time will come when I will no longer be able to teach.  Some disease will come along and take my energy and desire. I hope that is some time away.  At that time, I will be able to say to myself about my teaching:  I love what I did and I did what I could do. 

In the meantime, I have tests to grade and classes to get ready for the week.