Retirement has never been as attractive as it is today

Once upon a time, people dreaded the retirement because it meant a life of dullness, a life minus charm, a life where one would always have to maintain a low profile for fear of antagonizing others in the family. A retired life was seen as the end of the road and one would have to wait for the inevitable and final good bye.
But – things are not the same anymore.
Those who are in Government employment are governed by an entity known as the upper age limit. How that limit has been arrived at is never disclosed but, at regular intervals, it is reviewed and increased – in the 1960s, it was 55; then it went on to become 57, then 58 and finally it reached 60. There is a clamor to increase it to 62.
However, for those not in government service, the very concept of an upper age limit is considered as something ridiculous and downright silly. The opportunities for them would have to remain unlimited like politicians.
Celebrities of the silver screen and theater should retire when the going is good because once old age sets in, the individual loses his charms. Exceptions are always there – some of them, with sunken cheeks and white beards, try to re-enact popular characters of their youth. Some of them even try to gyrate to hip swinging music of the day. The effects are not pleasant and leave a lot to be desired but, who bothers. They want to cling on to their thrones as long as they are able to.
Moreover, in the age of TVs, some of these stars gyrate to the small screen and host game shows.
Politicians are a separate breed, they abhor the very idea of stepping down with grace. The attractions of monetary rewards are temptations not easy to ignore. As experience increases, they devise newer and newer methods of augmenting their bank balances. For them, retirement is literally the end of the road.
Those who have the energy and the drive set up consulting services, or conduct coaching classes after retirement. The objectives are to utilize the expertise gained in service to help out others in the same or similar profession or to disseminate knowledge to the younger generation. In this way, they ensure that precious time is not wasted on idle thoughts. Also, such activities egg them on to keep their knowledge bank up-to-date.
With the opening up of our economy, external players in the form of banks and insurance agencies have entered the market. They have their own versions of retirement solutions. All one has to do while in service is to invest some amount that can allow him to go on world tours with his family after retirement.