Good morning, friends.

I read an article recently that I found very interesting. As you know, I’ve been telling you that going back to school to learn new skills or to pursue an interest is a great way to invest your time in retirement. Many retirees find it either necessary or desirable to take a job in a new line of work after “retirement”. Many of us need to learn new skills or new fields of knowledge. Not only is it fun to learn, but going back to school keeps us mentally alert and prepares us to pursue new interests.

This article, “Baby boomers are heading back to school: Rather than retire, they are looking for new careers,” was written by Laura Houston. It appeared in The Arizona Republic on July 22, 2006.

Ms. Houston points out that many of the 78 million baby boomers in the nation are returning to school to prepare for a second career. She cites Merrill Lynch who says that a large number of boomers “will fall into a sort of ‘unretirement.’” Houston also points out that these “non-traditional” students tend to enroll in Community Colleges to find courses that are convenient and provide a direct route to the education they are seeking so they can move on to their next goal. She cites an 11% increase in enrollment of students over age 35 in 2005 at a local Community College.

Ms. Houston points to the experience of Mr. Barry Smith, age 54, who took courses to earn teacher certification. He left his job and now teaches online at the local community college. She says of Mr. Smith, “Like many baby boomers, he just won’t sit still.”

While I would not use the term “unretirement” to describe Mr. Smith and others like him who have moved into rewarding second careers, the article is a good example of the point I’ve been trying to make: today’s retirees are not content to sit and do nothing. Most of us have the opportunity that was not available to previous generations to RE-FIRE for the second stage of life. Like Mr. Smith, many of us have obtained the skills and knowledge that can help others learn or accomplish their goals.

You can lead the rush of boomers in your community to re-charge batteries, obtain new skills, learn new things, and enjoy a rewarding RE-FIRED second stage of life.

This entry was created on Tuesday, August 15th, 2006 at 7:12 am.
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