On... Loafing

On a holiday recently, when I visited my parents back in my hometown, my dad asked me if I know what happened to an ex-schoolmate of mine. I shrugged, having not been in touch for more than fifteen years. He told me - "Word is, he is just loafing around".

What a way to put it. I held it in as I wanted to tell him. Guess who else is loafing around? Me. His eldest son. Lmao. I guess its a matter of perspective. It could be due to a different generation but young people these days call it FIRE. Financial Independance, Retire Early. Isn't it interesting, that something that is considered an achievement by young people are taken as a negative by someone such as my dad.

Now, Im just assuming that my ex-schoolmate is indeed Financially Independent. I have no clue at all about his financial situation or well being. I'm just guessing that he is doing well and because of his success, h doesn't have to work anymore. In other words, he is happily retired.

Retirement turned out to be a strange concept. I have never thought much of it when I was younger. In Malaysia, you retire when you're 60. The government has decided that for you. Therefore, you don't have to crack your brains on when to retire anymore. Why 60, and not 55 or 50, etc? I have no idea. Perhaps its based on a mathematical model for workforce replacement. In Australia, there is no defined retirement age. You work until you don't feel like it anymore, or you can't find employment anymore.

So, my ex-schoolmate is considered loafing because he stopped working before he reached 60. That is just a number set by the government! And society judges you base on that number. If you stumbled upon generational wealth, couldn't you retire before 60?

I think people should retire 1)when they can afford to and 2)they feel like they want to pursue some other things in their life. I wonder if other people have questioned the concept of retirement age, or is it only me?