Pathways to Fulfillment in Post-Retirement Life
Zhang Xiujuan
As the policy of delayed retirement is implemented, the topic of "having something to do" in old age has been gaining popularity. Many friends around me are discussing this question: if we delay our retirement, we may not be able to continue working at our current jobs for so long. So, what can we do?
Just like Liu Run's New Year's speech, he played a video featuring a 66-year-old taxi driver from Japan. The driver had been driving for 35 years and hoped to continue working until he was 70. He knew of many people over 75 who were still driving taxis.
Older people's responses to the question of whether they would be satisfied with continuing to work at 75 are: "Of course, there will be dissatisfaction! However, Japan is facing an aging population, and this is inevitable."
Recently, I read a book called "Nana's Taxi Business," which was selected as the best book of the year by The Times. The main character, Aida, lost her husband and became lonely after his passing. To get out of her grief, she started a new life as a taxi driver, using her rich experience and wisdom to interact with various passengers.
I initially thought that "renting oneself" was just a fictional scenario in the book. However, yesterday I saw a blogger post a video where he actually experienced renting an elderly person through a website called Ossan Rentals. This platform allows you to choose from various types of elderly people, such as normal, friendly, artistic, cultural, and even cute.
The blogger tried renting an elderly person once and found that the retired individual lived a comfortable life, enjoying hobbies like playing ball, cooking for family, and socializing with friends. However, sometimes they would feel a little bored and would rent themselves out to accompany others in playing ball, shopping, watching movies, chatting, or having a drink.
I also noticed the "Nanny's Hour" website in Russia. Due to the busy schedules of young parents who are pursuing their careers, they often have no one to leave their children with. In this situation, the "Nanny's Hour" institution was born, training thousands of senior grandmothers and grandfathers to become babysitters. These older caregivers allow young parents to feel more at ease, allowing them to communicate with their children calmly and protect their health and safety.
The founder of "Nanny's Hour" claims that their goal is to make older Russians feel useful again, providing help to young families. Their database contains 25% of individuals with a degree, 30% of males with higher education backgrounds, and many people who are proficient in 2-3 foreign languages. This treasure trove of knowledge cannot be wasted. Retirees not only want to pass on their knowledge but also strive to learn something new from their grandchildren.
Experts estimate that there is a demand for babysitters and tutors in Russian families, with approximately 800,000 people seeking this service. For retirees, this represents 800,000 potential job opportunities.
So, what about you? Are you considering doing something after your retirement? Each year, 20 million people enter the retirement stage, and these older individuals include those who hope to continue contributing their value and those who want to earn money to supplement their pensions. Whether from any angle, allowing older people to have something to do and earn a living is an important issue that requires the collective effort of society.
This column article represents only the author's personal views.