Reasons to Retire
The idea that "more and more present and future retirees are finding that the traditional idea of retirement is pass?" is out of sync with reality ["7 Reasons NOT to Retire," June 12]. It seems to me that more and more of us find that what gets us going in the morning is the joy of not having to report to the office. I believe we will live longer, live better, and be far happier and more fulfilled because of it. I suggest reading The Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed, and Overworked by Ernie Zelinski, about retirement possibilities.
GEORGE FULMORE
Concord, Calif.
As a counterpoint to your story about "not" retiring, I believe an excellent reason to retire is to become a community volunteer and give something back. As I patrol with the police department and the sheriff's office, carry water to firefighters, or work with the Community Emergency Response Team, I frequently pass the local golf course. I'm tempted to shout to those old duffers: Get off the greens and do something meaningful with your life, and share your skills with nearby or-ganizations. I'd vote for the politician who would support a bill requiring a day of volunteer activity a week in order to receive a tax refund.
THOMAS HAPGOOD
Sierra Vista, Ariz.
I'd like to add another reason not to retire to your list: You love what you are doing. At 86, I am professor emeritus of chemistry and retired for the past 15 years from formal classroom teaching. Because I love conducting scientific research, before "retiring," I arranged to establish a research institute at the university where I had taught and conducted research for 41 years. I still direct research and have published books and scientific papers.
MILTON J. ROSEN, PH.D.
Director, Surfactant Research Institute, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Spending Drift
After reading "Anxiety Attack" [June 26], I am mystified that the article did not address overspending as a reason for middle-class anxiety. The article suggests that this anxiety is based on job insecurity but does not explain that many people live paycheck to paycheck with too much debt and too little savings. Right now we have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world, more toys and gadgets and luxuries than ever before, and a stable economy and society. And yet we expect unlimited high-paying jobs, free healthcare, and guaranteed comfort in retirement. The so-called middle-class malaise is not well founded. I believe it is our expectations and our spending priorities that are out of whack, not our economy.
MARYANN TWOREK
Pleasant Hill, Calif.
The tables of statistics in "Anxiety Attack" may help explain the recent jump in violent crime in the United States. We are witnessing an economic expansion that has failed to include segments of the middle and lower classes of the American people. Raising the minimum wage would help alleviate this disparity, especially for those without a high school diploma.
DAMON STAKES
Parma, Ohio
Follow Good Leaders
David Gergen's report missed the mark ["Bad News for Bullies," June 19]. "Servant leadership" is not "utopian." There are many successful practitioners in the real world, such as Herb Kelleher, cofounder of Southwest Airlines. Servant-leadership tenets include the law of reciprocity ("Give and it shall be given to you") in which servant leaders typically lead motivated, committed followers who contribute to organizational success. Success carries servant leadership to the boardroom with no need for ruthlessness.
ROBERT J. COUGHLIN
Virginia Beach, Va.
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