Retirement is Something To Which Most Workers Look Forward

Dr. Laura has said multiple times on her show that she's going to work until she dies.

And why wouldn't she?



She's doing something she enjoys (even if some moments are clearly annoying to her) and find fulfilling.

She's very good at it - one of the best!

She's helping a long of people and continuing to influence.

Along with other decisions, it has afforded her a nice life that includes a nice home in a really nice area, sailing, and a certain lifestyle.

Her on-air work is Monday-Friday, 11am-2pm. She is never pressured by a boss to work on a weekend or late at night.

Other people handle the technical work, screen calls, etc.

She works from home, inside her home.

She can sit down while she works.

Her job requires concentration and mental work, but is not physical.

Her general working conditions are the same as being at home.

If she doesn't like a "customer" she doesn't have to deal with them.

She doesn't seem to have problems with bosses or coworkers.

She's not going to be let go in a corporate restructuring or downsizing, nor required to move if she wants to keep her job.

While she often gets negative feedback (which, from what she says, rolls off her back), she also gets lots of affirmation and appreciation.

Presumably, she doesn't have to sit trough ridiculous or boring meetings or "training" about sexual harassment, discrimination, diversity, etc.

She's in control of her workplace and job.

She's able to take time off to go on vacations.

She's widowed and the odds of her finding a new husband who will be compatible with her and otherwise have the right criteria are slim, and even if she does, compatibility would likely include his support of her work, so that is unlikely to interfere with any of the above.


And good for her! Good for her that she worked hard all of those years and might the right choices and escaped corporate terrestrial radio hell and has a job that's her calling, that she loves doing. I really happy for that and I hope she's still doing it in 30 years.


What I don't get is that being such a bright woman, who has practiced as a therapist, that she doesn't understand (or at least acts like she doesn't) that other people plan/look forward to retiring, especially when they want to retire in their 50s or early 60s. She wonders aloud what they plan to do.

Surely she had patients/clients who hated their jobs, or were barely tolerating them.

Most employed people are not in jobs they love. It's not their dream job. They aren't anywhere near as successful in their jobs as she is in hers. They're in the jobs because they had to pay the bills. Sometimes it goes back to the first thing they could get, and all of their subsequent employment was  connected because of experience and access. Think about someone working in a retail store who moves up into management. They might change companies, but it's still likely to be retail store management.

There are any number of things about their job they might dislike, from the hours to some of the tasks, to bosses, coworkers, the commute, on and on it goes. They'd much rather be doing something else, even another job, but they need the pay/benefits (and often the seniority) their current job is providing, and because of that job, they don't have the time or energy to do what they really want to be doing. So, retirement means that not only do they not have to deal with those things they disliked, but they now have the time to do the things they do want to do.

I get that working contributes to society, but it's not the only way to contribute to society, if people have paid their dues they shouldn't be begrudged some relaxation and even indulgence.

Personally, I would have plenty to do if I retired right now, and I'm in my 40s. I can't imagine I'd ever be bored. If I hadn't married, I would be a lot closer to being able to retire than I am. Or, I could retire and do a job I'd want to do just for the fun of it (and yes, I can think of at least one).