I read the news today, oh boy…
Yes, John Lennon at his finest.
Unlike Lennon though, my news—this morning—didn’t include a story about a lucky man.
No, plastered in my news, this morning, were voices—forceful, compelling, convincing.
And yet, the voices were confusing and contradictory too. Urgent, cautious and dire in their assessments, their predictions.
You know those voices.
You hear them every day.
They’re the voices telling you; things go better with a Cola.
They’re the voices convincing you; even though you haven’t thought about it, you’d really be happier in a Nova.
They’re the voices urging you; NOW is the time.
NOW is the time to buy stuff—more stuff—bigger and better stuff.
It’s good for the economy.
But.
They’re also the voices telling you; NOW’s the time to think about retirement.
Save for retirement.
Don’t spend, the voices tell you.
Invest.
But have you noticed those same voices—now more formal, now more grave—also telling us to be careful.
Telling us the jig’s up?
Telling us; People, face it, we’re broke.
All of us, broker than broke. Paupers in a pauperdom.
Individuals. Businesses. Government. Broke and barely admitting it.
Yes, those voices say, go ahead, buy, spend, invest, but, please, don’t go into debt.
Memo to voices: can you explain how we’re supposed to do that? Buy all that stuff, spend all that money (so the economy can pick up again), salt away money (for that future la-la land called retirement), all without getting deeper into debt? If we’re broke, and in debt, then how can we do all that? Can you please explain it to me?
Lookit, I’m sorry if this might upset you, distress you.
But it’s in the news and it’s ridiculous.
And besides, it’s not my intention to agitate.
My intention is to offer an option—a way out.
But first, I needed to point out the imponderable landscape—the vacuous, illogical insanity of it all.
The news, so irreconcilable, so inconsistent, tells me the model is broken, kaput. And there aren’t enough of us noticing.
Don’t you see?
The model says work hard, make money, spend, spend, spend.
But remember, the model cautions, to put something away for the future. And remember, too, to stay out of debt (even though you’re already broke).
Other than, that go for it—work, spend, save, stay out of debt.
And then…
Kick back.
Enjoy retirement.
Go on, enjoy it.
It’s all yours. You earned it. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.
But what if?
You don’t enjoy retirement?
What if?
You work hard.
For decades, you work hard, maybe at a job that sucks the life right out of you, only to find that…
You don’t enjoy retirement. It’s boring.
What then?
Well, the model provides a solution—offers a recommendation.
Rejoin the workforce.
After all, big-box stores do need greeters.
No? Not your thing?
Volunteer then. Babysit, drive a school bus, keep busy.
Just find something to do, dammit.
….Like I said, illogical insanity. We’re supposed to sacrifice 30 or 40 years doing something we may not enjoy, we’re supposed to be mindful of our finances (all the while trying not get tripped up by the conflicting minefield of debt, investment and disbursement), and we’re then supposed to sail into the allegorical sunset…
And that’s why I’m invited to Halifax.
Because I disagree with that vision.
Because I’m proposing a rethink.
Offering a new solution.
A solution I’m calling The 5 Myths of a Working Life.
Which I’ll outline in my next post, I promise.
And, by the way, if you’re the impatient type, it’s in the book. What I’m presenting in Halifax is a subset of what’s in my book, The Net Present Value of Life. Obvious plug, I know, but the experts tell me to keep doing that shameless self-promotion stuff (and to not be so damn apologetic about it).
I’m working on it.
And so, what say you? Is the model broken? Let me know what you think. Please leave a comment.
