If You Quit You Die

The other night, my wife and I were streaming some of the James Corden Carpool Karaoke episodes.  They were funny.  The singing and antics are fun but sometimes you pick up some interesting things from the conversation he has with the guests.  Pretty clear this is a cool way to plug a new tour or record.

In the Elton John piece, he asked Elton if he would ever stop writing music.  Elton responded, “No, because if you quit, you die.”

My wife and I are entering the back third of our lives.  Well, hopefully the back third.  You never know.  We talk about what we want it to look like.  We are in our fifties now and healthy.  A health mishap can throw all your future plans for a loop.

We are 56.  A lot of people my age don’t admit their age because of ageism these days but I don’t care.

The other thing we talk about is how long we want to work.  It’s not about the money per se.  It’s about the time/effort versus value we get out of it and money is a part of that equation but not all of it.  We have friends that are hanging it up and totally retiring.  They had different jobs their whole lives than I did.  They had to go to an office, or work for a company.  I have been an independent worker since 1986.  So, it’s different.

Many of our friends are moving to places like Florida.  I empathize because the year round weather is better and the tax bite is significantly less. But, I have always joked that Florida is “God’s Waiting Room”.  There are a lot of older people down there. To me it lacks the vibrancy of other places.  Except, in January it sure looks good.

I know other buddies of mine that made a lot of money trading and quit.  They tried to play golf or tennis every day.  It drove them nuts.  They didn’t have a purpose.  I don’t think a hobby can replace a job.

I had a friend who was related to a CEO/Founder of a Fortune 100 company.  The CEO had retired.  We went with our kids to his home to go swimming.  He had an indoor pool.  It was the afternoon and he was in his pajamas having a cocktail.  I was a bit taken aback.

Some of my friends that are working for Big 4 accounting firms have forced separation.  They have to leave the firm.  They catch on with smaller firms or do something else.  It’s an interesting part of the Big 4 culture.  Most of the lawyers I know at this age aren’t hanging it up but they are watching their partnership a bit closer.  They know that someday they will want to get out.   People that I know who were government employees like teachers are totally out.

It’s pretty clear that Elton John doesn’t need the money.  He can do anything he wants.  Is there a faster jet?  A better hotel room?  A bigger diamond?  A more exclusive experience?  He is motivated by something else.

When I see interviews of people that are at the absolute top of their profession like Elton John or tip top athletes, their competitive fire comes through.  It comes out in phrases.  “I saw what that person did and then it made me do this.”  Some might interpret that as art begetting art, but I see it as competition.  Top athletes like Michael Jordan compete at checkers just as hard as they did basketball.

Athletes have the retirement thing come a lot sooner in their lives.  It’s tough.  All those years of putting on a jersey and being a part of something and having a purpose are gone.  Many of them can’t deal with it or they built their lives with such high fixed costs they go broke.  It’s sad.  When my trading career ended and I couldn’t put my jacket on every day I could empathize with that.  The transition is hard and it’s really taxing mentally, physically and emotionally.

I don’t know what the back third of our lives will look like. But, I am not sure if I will ever really “retire” or not.  My life might look a lot different in ten years but you have to have a reason to get out of bed in the morning.