Retired But Not Tired

“Dad is tired.”

“Dad has retired.”

Does the word re-tire come from tired? Who knows, but I always think about it when I see retired people working in minimum wage jobs like today. I saw two of them stocking shelves in a drugstore.

It is presumptuous to say they are retired, just because they look older, but what I will not do, is presume, they are in minimum wage jobs because they are starving. We live in a country that provides you with some money, based on the number of years you worked and contributed to the national pension plan.

Retired people that work in department stores, coffee shops and drug stores maybe work for the clock. Remember the pandemic? Time seems to stand still if we are not doing anything. Hands up all those that complain about waking up in the morning when it is still dark and go to work. It’s a chore when we are still able, but it gives us a sense of purpose. It is something to look forward to, to meet the world, to appreciate kind deeds like the guy at the coffee shop who always says: “The usual, right?”

I’m writing about the guys in the drugstore because they are in the public eye. There are men and women who were professionals when they worked full-time and were called back as consultants because of their work ethic or wealth of knowledge.

Some retired people were nudged out before their retirement age. COVID-19 is a good example. There were layoffs and older workers were ‘encouraged’ to retire. Companies then hired younger workers which they pay less, and give leaner health and other packages.

“Dad is tired.”

“Dad has re-tired.”

No. He is not tired.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

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