AARP Online Community and Discussion Forums - DEAR JOHN: Over 80 and still working

johninnevada · ‎11-18-2015

I am over 80 and still working. I am wondering how many other AARP members over 80 are still working for pay at age over 80.

Johninnevada

JudithH970299 · ‎11-26-2024

I am still working for pay and I will. be 81 in 2925. I can't imagine not working as. I teach college English courses and love being surrounded by intelligent young adults..

@johninnevada wrote:
I am over 80 and still working. I am wondering how many other AARP members over 80 are still working for pay at age over 80.

johninnevada · ‎05-06-2020

Guess what I am still here. My wife turned 84 in February and I turned 85 in April. I am still considered an Employee of the Local School District, however the Governor has closed all the Schools for this year, so I guess I will have to wait until next semester. I have to say that I am starting to get LAZY, when I wake up in the Morning I say why bother to get up, after all I have nothing to do.

I can't wait until I can return to work. I just realize I never posted that I left my job after 9 Years and started working as a Substitute Para Pro, and or Campus Monitor as the local School District. I absolutely love my New Position and as I told the School Supt, he probably has the OLDEST Employee in the District.

However, I must say as we proceed with this "PANDEMIC", I am totally Bored and feel that my years left on this earth are just being wasted away. I hope it will be over soon and we can return to our NEW Normal;. I say NEW Normal because things will never be the same. They will change. I can only hope for my children's sake for the Better.

Hope this finds all the many seniors whose paths I have crossed and their families are all OK. GOD BLESS

Johninnevada

johninnevada · ‎12-29-2019

I started this Topic four years ago and find it exciting to see how the Work Force is growing older each year. So I thought I would update my current position in Life. As I stated earlier, I work because it keeps me going and gives me a reason to get out of bed each day. To bring things up to date I will be 85 years old in a few months and I recently changed jobs. I am now a Teachers Aid in our Local School System. This is a paid position and I enjoy working with the young children. I currently work about 15 to 20 hours per week. In addition to this I am a AARP Driver Safety Volunteer, I currently Serve as a Marketing Specialist and a Telephone Coordinator. I find that all of this activity helps to keep me Thinking YOUNG in Spirit and Mind. I plan to continue all this until I reach 100, maybe then I will RETIRE.

Johninnevada

PatrickR720159 · ‎07-09-2019

That's the spirit!!! We'll show those young guys what we are made of!

Seniors are just antique people rich with history.

r522538g · ‎06-17-2019

Age 79 and I am a substitute teacher about 150 days per year.

ce7949 · ‎06-16-2019

I am 75 and intend to work until at least 80 or maybe more. I enjoy the challenge and the money.

4176jp · ‎06-13-2019

95 is the new 75! As a Senior its not about pursuing a career but more about finding something meaningful that allows us to learn new technologies, pay some bills, while giving us a reason to wake up and shower each morning!

PatrickR720159 · ‎01-31-2019

Awesome! You must be really strong to handle a job at the age of 80. This will teach those "kids" a thing or two.

Seniors are just antique people rich with history.

johninnevada · ‎01-26-2019

I just wanted to update this posting. I will soon be 84 years old and I am still working. For those that asked the question "What do youy Do" I am a Gate Attendent at a Large RV Park. I also am the only one there so I am responsible for any out of the ordinary things that take place. I also take tours to be sure all is secure and close and open other Buildings as needed, I now work 2 - 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM shifts per week.

Johninnevada

lk7463 · ‎01-29-2016

I was a vice president for academic affairs at a small university and seminary. I made over $50,000 at the peak of my career.

Now I'm working for $9.50 an hour part-time, after trying to find work for a long time.

My problem with most jobs is I've had a stroke that's affected my speech, so I can't speak easily (or sing, for that matter, which I used to do professionally).

So my experience is: If you don't own your own business, expect far less from a job than you're used to.

LogicsHere · ‎01-29-2016

I'm not yet 70, but my plans had been to work full-time till I reached 70 and P/T till age 72. Unfortunately I was let go from my job last April. At that time I was the primary caregiver to my 95 year old mother whose behavior took a turn from "love" to extreme hatred for me. I unfortunately had to place her in a LTC facility. It took almost 2-3 months and various medications to stabilize her and she is almost back to her sweet self.

I would have liked to continue to work part-time to break into retirement slowly but my mother needs to have me around and I visit on an almost daily basis. I also considered working 16 to 20 hours per week currently but find that my visits to my mom are now my P/T job as I spend anywhere from 4 to 6 hours a day with her. I am, however, in the process of writing a series of books which I hope to try to sell on my website (considered Amazon, but untrusting of putting my SS number on line).

cjl57 · ‎01-29-2016

I'm writing for my husband who will be 81 next weekend and still works full time as a realtor.

tcciro · ‎01-28-2016

I am 82 and still work as a substitute teacher in local middle and high schools.

I love interacting with the kids and the job is ideal. I work when I want to and refuse when I

don't, usually four or five days a month..

One of my several careers was teaching as well as working as a chemist, sales executive, and entrepreneur.

SIMPLEGAL · ‎02-05-2016

..

mahomesj · ‎01-28-2016

I am. I find it joyful getting up with a purpose, plus I enjoy the salary, insurance, holidays, travel and educational activities.

elisebeth96 · ‎01-31-2016

i am ovr 80 and have recently retired however the day of my retiement i was asked to work a few days and agreed it is hard to quit and will probably continue to fill in occasionaly

hankglucker · ‎01-28-2016

I retired at 62 and found it to be very boring. Started a small home improvement company and just kept going. I''m now 81 and after my wife died, the business kept me involved and sane. Will probably stop working when the good lord calls me home.

bf56027276 · ‎01-28-2016

I am 82 and still happily working mostly part time.

wtyska · ‎01-28-2016

I am only 68 and still working. I am a CNA and plan on working as long as I am able that includes past 80, I only work 30 hours a week. I used to do computer operations on mainframes and computer programming. This is my second career sort of

flyingranny · ‎01-28-2016

I am over 80 and I still run my own aerial photography business including flying my plane, taking the aerial photos for my customers, and printing and framing the orders. If interested, you can check out my website at photography-plus.com

ArthurG22 · ‎01-28-2016

I will be 80 in October. I am a CPA and am in my office 5 days a week (one of my partners will

be 91 in June and comes in every day)

I am also an elelcted member of the Town Council in the town that I live in. I usually spend several hours a week on Town business.

My wife and I have been married 55 years.

We still live in our home that we built in 1968

My wife (she just turned 77) and I still drive our own cars

We are very fortunate that our children, grand children and great grandcildren live in rhe area

and we are a very active participants in their lives.

I am in a profession that does not have much physical demands, but as long as my

cognative skills stay relativly in tact, I see my self working for several more years.

Your brain is like everything else, use it or lose it.

landacrewd · ‎12-02-2015

I am not over 80 yet but will be next month. I normally work 24 hours per week as a security officer at a residential condo and townhouse development. Also, work a nine hour shift at a shopping complex and several hours as an office assistant. My hours vary handing out packages delivered by the USPS. I am not a couch potato and don't like to be idle. Plus, the money helps.

johninnevada · ‎01-05-2016

I appreciate all the replies and find some very inyeresting.

I find a lot of similar occupations to my work life.

After I retired and started working again I drove cars for a Car Rental Agency and worked about 30 hours a week. Then I tiook courses on doing taxes and got certified and did taxes for a number of years, but found that I was working long hours and there were few rewards.

The work I do now is very rewarding and as I approach my 81st Birthday I have taken on an additional shift and have no intention of ever retiring.

As I tell all my friends, "If I don't work, at the end of the day I am still in my Night Clothes and what have I really accomplished? NOTHING!!!" "Life has more to offer than that and I want to enjoy my Life"

Johninnevada

SIMPLEGAL · ‎04-28-2016

Dear John,

What have you been up to lately? Hope all is going well.

@johninnevada wrote:
I appreciate all the replies and find some very inyeresting.

I find a lot of similar occupations to my work life.

After I retired and started working again I drove cars for a Car Rental Agency and worked about 30 hours a week. Then I tiook courses on doing taxes and got certified and did taxes for a number of years, but found that I was working long hours and there were few rewards.

The work I do now is very rewarding and as I approach my 81st Birthday I have taken on an additional shift and have no intention of ever retiring.

As I tell all my friends, "If I don't work, at the end of the day I am still in my Night Clothes and what have I really accomplished? NOTHING!!!" "Life has more to offer than that and I want to enjoy my Life"

Johninnevada

nyadrn · ‎05-01-2016

@johninnevada wrote:
I appreciate all the replies and find some very inyeresting.

I find a lot of similar occupations to my work life.

After I retired and started working again I drove cars for a Car Rental Agency and worked about 30 hours a week. Then I tiook courses on doing taxes and got certified and did taxes for a number of years, but found that I was working long hours and there were few rewards.

The work I do now is very rewarding and as I approach my 81st Birthday I have taken on an additional shift and have no intention of ever retiring.

As I tell all my friends, "If I don't work, at the end of the day I am still in my Night Clothes and what have I really accomplished? NOTHING!!!" "Life has more to offer than that and I want to enjoy my Life"

Johninnevada

Wow what a positive story. I appreciate your sharing it. Care to share what you are doing now?

Life's a Journey, not a Destination" Aerosmith

Bgiven · ‎01-28-2016

After retiring from 30+ years as a university professor, my son and I purchased an old feed and grain store to renovate for as an upstairs apartment for him and a commerical business below. We decided upon a gelato shop and have been working to complete this project since 2010. My son passed away this past Easter Sunday morning and I'm determined to complete what we started in his honor. By this time, however, my retirement funds are extremely limited and there is much yet to be completed. Nonetheless, my puppy (Lola) and the cat Bryce willed to me (Michael Jackson) are living in his apartment. We are waiting to get a Certificate of Occupancy as I write this.

Before he passed away, Bryce purchased a surpluss 4-way traffic light, so we decided to call our shop the Stoplight Gelato Cafe, LLC. Fortunately, a local BizSense newspaper reporter wrote a story about our efforts to help restore an old historic district in Richmond, VA. As a result, several college students volunteered to help me. For example, I taught a predental student how to trim a door; a physics major learned how to make gelato; several others painted walls and ceilings, while others helped with woodwork trim.

Of course, most of my funds are going to pay for necessary upgrades such as all new electrical, plumbing, HVAC and heart-pine floor installation. Some of Bryce's friends gave of their expert ceramic tile and woodworking trim skills to finish two bathrooms and a loft. We still have more trim, equipment cleaning (it was all purchased over the five years from auctions), remaining electrical and plumbing to complete, but we are gradually making progress.

Other neighbor volunteers painted book shelves, sealed more brick and made window posters. After stopping to sell me products, a salesman decided to volunteer by staining and varnishing waincoting in the cafe, and the electricians volunteered to hang the enormously heavy traffic light. My California cousin came for a week and painted doors and helped seal brick.

There are so many involved that it is difficult to give tribute to each of them, but they know that part of this business belongs to them and their efforts.

At 80, I work hard each day. Yesterday, for example, a lawyer husband of a former student, and I trimmed another door. He comes once each week from Williamsburg to help me and this is how the project is getting finished; one helper at a time.

The key to our continued progress is giving a sense of ownership to each volunteer with the knowledge they are building voiuchers for free gelato once we are open. In fact. I owe so much gelato to volunteers that it may be several years before a profit can be made, but that's as it should be. Afterall, this is a community affair and it is such fun to get to know wonderful college students and other adults as we work together to create something we can all be proud to "own.'

memabev · ‎12-01-2015

I am 82 and still have a little bookkeeping business and also do income taxes annually - since 1983. I feel it keeps me sharp and interested in what's going on in this country and the world in general. I don't have any signs of dementia and am interested in a lot of different things. I love to do a good job for my clients and believe they appreciate me.