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There is a huge difference between retiring and retiring healthy. Both of my parents retired due to medical reasons and are not as mobile as they once were, the

There is a huge difference between retiring and retiring healthy. Both of my parents retired due to medical reasons and are not as mobile as they once were, they have confided in me that retirement is extremely boring and if it wasnt for church and living so close to family (same apartment complex) they would have nothing to do. I'd love to see more programs that pair retirees with young people to tackle local problems, there is a clear trend regarding increasing lonlieness among young adults and retirement age folks.

derekp7 7y ago
It seems that hackerspaces would be the perfect place for retirees and younger folks to mix. The older people tend to have more mechanical skills through life experience, and can help the younger ones learn to make things (wood / metal working, general building techniques, etc). Personally, I'm at least 15 years from retirement, and one of my plans is to hang out at either hackerspaces, libraries, or other areas like that.
- toomuchtodo 7y ago
  A hacker space is simply a community center with more tooling. While I think the word “inclusion” is overloaded today, I think there’s great value in community building. “Make Libraries Great Again” sort of thing. Build a space where people with shared interests can come together, and those without connections and interests can be introduced to them. Time and time again, research is showing that human connection is what keeps us happy and helps us live longer, healthier lives. Optimize for human connection, self actualization, fulfillment, and purpose. Why this idea is not a first class citizen in the first world is beyond me.
  - tsjq 7y ago
    your comment reminded me of a Podcast episode: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/palaces-for-the-people/ https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/palaces-for-the-peopl...
- hinkley 7y ago
  Before software there was only physical things and interpersonal dynamics. It's not just life experience, it's that people focused on working with things. I'm in the transitional group, and it feels like the number of 'handy' software developers declines every year. I think there may only be one utility knife and one flashlight on my whole floor (except the maintenance team) and those are both in my pockets. If we have beer someone might pull out an actual bottle opener (I worry about that guy).
  - OJFord 7y ago
    You 'worry about' the guy that has a bottle opener; without whom the beer presumably can't be opened? Meanwhile you have a knife and torch in your pockets at all times? I wouldn't worry about either of you, but if anyone were casting such aspersions I'd expect it to be someone without 'tools' about them.
  - wideasleep1 7y ago
    Pass me that bottle, I'll open it with my teeth. It'll only cost you the first swig. Cheers!
    - hinkley 7y ago
      I've only seen this happen once, and it was a guy my friend had just broken up with. Later on I had several conversations with him about how I hoped he would not bite off any more bottle caps. I didn't see him much after that but I hope his teeth are okay.
mikestew 7y ago
I can only assume the "nothing to do" retirement crowd didn't do much when they were working, and therefore have no idea how to fill the time. Personally: 1. More volunteer time at the dog shelter. 2. More reading. 3. More music playing, and finally really spend time on that violin that is currently a secondary instrument. 4. More time at "church" (read: Zen practice), yes, just like other old people. 5. Might finally have time to hike the Appalachian Trail, or at least large parts of it. 6. Finally find the time to sit down and decide what I want to do when I retire, 'cuz there's no way this list is complete. All but #5 should be able to be done by all but the most feeble. I hope I live so long as to get bored in retirement.
- AstralStorm 7y ago
  1. Not possible due to failing health. 2. Do you mean Braille? Yes, large print can suffice sometimes... Audiobooks if your hearing is adequate. 3. Add some motor coordination problems and this is not happening. 4. It is boring for many. 5. Sure, with failing healthy and being less able to move. Not impossible, just not likely. 6. Too late for many things. Most people forget that were talking 70 years old people or so. Some remain spry, but they are a minority. 6b. And what makes you think you will have better ideas then? Or have any actual energy? By the time they're 60, most people attain at least one chronic health problem. If they're lucky, it's manageable for normal full energy life without such excesses. Some fade much earlier than that. Finally, the main problem is gradual loss of connections, friends, family etc.
  - xwdv 7y ago
    Personally, if I found myself toward the end of my life retired and hopelessly frail, confined to a bed all day, with no children or even a friend worth seeing, I’ve decided I’ll just live out the rest of my days hacking into systems, creating botnets, ransoming data, just seeing what’s out there and trying to build some sort of malware network that can live on for a while after I’m gone. For what? Who knows. I’m just cashing in on a lifetime of skills and knowledge that I never got to use to it’s full extent, simply because I wanted to live an honest life. It’s better than laying there watching a TV all day falling asleep with a dry gaping mouth. And if I slip up and get tracked, and I hear the law breaking down the door to get in, I’ll just swallow a pack of pills and be done with it, by the time they get to me, they’ll just find a deflating old corpse sunken into a bed, while thousands of compromised machines stand by to execute their final orders once the dead man’s switch goes off. This is how I fade.
magashna 7y ago
That's on them. My dad retired and started coaching soccer, getting a music degree, and joined a church choir. He was actually busier than I was during finals week.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

derekp7 7y ago

It seems that hackerspaces would be the perfect place for retirees and younger folks to mix. The older people tend to have more mechanical skills through life experience, and can help the younger ones learn to make things (wood / metal working, general building techniques, etc). Personally, I'm at least 15 years from retirement, and one of my plans is to hang out at either hackerspaces, libraries, or other areas like that.

toomuchtodo 7y ago
A hacker space is simply a community center with more tooling. While I think the word “inclusion” is overloaded today, I think there’s great value in community building. “Make Libraries Great Again” sort of thing. Build a space where people with shared interests can come together, and those without connections and interests can be introduced to them. Time and time again, research is showing that human connection is what keeps us happy and helps us live longer, healthier lives. Optimize for human connection, self actualization, fulfillment, and purpose. Why this idea is not a first class citizen in the first world is beyond me.
- tsjq 7y ago
  your comment reminded me of a Podcast episode: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/palaces-for-the-people/ https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/palaces-for-the-peopl...
hinkley 7y ago
Before software there was only physical things and interpersonal dynamics. It's not just life experience, it's that people focused on working with things. I'm in the transitional group, and it feels like the number of 'handy' software developers declines every year. I think there may only be one utility knife and one flashlight on my whole floor (except the maintenance team) and those are both in my pockets. If we have beer someone might pull out an actual bottle opener (I worry about that guy).
- OJFord 7y ago
  You 'worry about' the guy that has a bottle opener; without whom the beer presumably can't be opened? Meanwhile you have a knife and torch in your pockets at all times? I wouldn't worry about either of you, but if anyone were casting such aspersions I'd expect it to be someone without 'tools' about them.
- wideasleep1 7y ago
  Pass me that bottle, I'll open it with my teeth. It'll only cost you the first swig. Cheers!
  - hinkley 7y ago
    I've only seen this happen once, and it was a guy my friend had just broken up with. Later on I had several conversations with him about how I hoped he would not bite off any more bottle caps. I didn't see him much after that but I hope his teeth are okay.

mikestew 7y ago

I can only assume the "nothing to do" retirement crowd didn't do much when they were working, and therefore have no idea how to fill the time. Personally: 1. More volunteer time at the dog shelter. 2. More reading. 3. More music playing, and finally really spend time on that violin that is currently a secondary instrument. 4. More time at "church" (read: Zen practice), yes, just like other old people. 5. Might finally have time to hike the Appalachian Trail, or at least large parts of it. 6. Finally find the time to sit down and decide what I want to do when I retire, 'cuz there's no way this list is complete. All but #5 should be able to be done by all but the most feeble. I hope I live so long as to get bored in retirement.

AstralStorm 7y ago
1. Not possible due to failing health. 2. Do you mean Braille? Yes, large print can suffice sometimes... Audiobooks if your hearing is adequate. 3. Add some motor coordination problems and this is not happening. 4. It is boring for many. 5. Sure, with failing healthy and being less able to move. Not impossible, just not likely. 6. Too late for many things. Most people forget that were talking 70 years old people or so. Some remain spry, but they are a minority. 6b. And what makes you think you will have better ideas then? Or have any actual energy? By the time they're 60, most people attain at least one chronic health problem. If they're lucky, it's manageable for normal full energy life without such excesses. Some fade much earlier than that. Finally, the main problem is gradual loss of connections, friends, family etc.
- xwdv 7y ago
  Personally, if I found myself toward the end of my life retired and hopelessly frail, confined to a bed all day, with no children or even a friend worth seeing, I’ve decided I’ll just live out the rest of my days hacking into systems, creating botnets, ransoming data, just seeing what’s out there and trying to build some sort of malware network that can live on for a while after I’m gone. For what? Who knows. I’m just cashing in on a lifetime of skills and knowledge that I never got to use to it’s full extent, simply because I wanted to live an honest life. It’s better than laying there watching a TV all day falling asleep with a dry gaping mouth. And if I slip up and get tracked, and I hear the law breaking down the door to get in, I’ll just swallow a pack of pills and be done with it, by the time they get to me, they’ll just find a deflating old corpse sunken into a bed, while thousands of compromised machines stand by to execute their final orders once the dead man’s switch goes off. This is how I fade.

magashna 7y ago

That's on them. My dad retired and started coaching soccer, getting a music degree, and joined a church choir. He was actually busier than I was during finals week.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]