'Retirement' is a misnomer - unless it is used to refer to death.
The major issue with ceasing to work to fund staying alive is that for many, if not most, it replaces living. Often, it does so to such a degree that it becomes one's 'life'.
Of course, there are those fortunate enough to be able to fund their survival from occupations that are challenging, rewarding, affirming and illuminating. For most, though many will claim it not to be so, the opposite is the case.
Cultural conditioning is both insidious and strong. Today's notions of success being defined by wealth, fame, status, - essentially materialism or perceived superiority to others, virtually ensure that 'jobs' come to define people and 'having a job' or 'being employed' is portrayed by government and others as almost a panacea for a worthwhile life.
It is a confidence trick, whether intentional, as some will be certain it is, or itself a result of conditioning creating a norm now taken for granted.
Life is a continuum and 'being' surely is its only real purpose, if indeed there is one at all. Being involves all manner of physical and mental activity and manifestations and certainly these cumulate over time as the individual experiences. This is, not least, why 'wisdom', is often attributed to the aged.
Categorising, creating 'stages' or other, (often extremely arbitrary), segmentations of cohorts of people seems to be a widespread activity of human beings. Often, those very segments have the effect of influencing research, understanding, access, expectations, perceived worth and so much more.
Certainly it can be useful to consider, for some appropriate purpose, a group based on a particular set of characteristics. It can also contribute to, if not create, entirely inappropriate conclusions, stereotypes, harmful policies and even well intentioned actions that do more harm than good.
So, to me, it is unfortunate that we are obsessed with categorisation, even if innocently unaware that we are being so.
Fences may have a series of slats, each one adding to the length until the end post is reached. Life progresses much more fluidly with movement similar to that of a stream, fast in places, slow in others, flowing over or around obstacles, sometimes forceful and at others weak but with no distinct segmentation along its path - only the environment and context of its path shapes its nature. What benefits its health at the start will also benefit its health along its path. It's existence is very much more than any label or artificial constructs that can be placed on it.
