Another Transition
By Dr. Syed Amir
Bethesda, MD
Retirement marks one of the most important milestones and a watershed event in life’s journey. While going through the earlier phases, childhood, education and employment, retirement seems a destination far off in the future, not deserving much thought. However, it arrives soon enough. Many when faced with it discover that they are not well prepared to adapt to the rhythm and reality of their new life. Most of us approach this milestone with some trepidation, and with some level of uncertainty as to how well they will adjust to it.
I underwent this transition on the first day of this year, when I voluntarily retired from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where I had been serving as a health scientist administrator for over twenty-two years. I had arrived at NIH from Harvard Medical School where I had been on the faculty as a researcher and teacher for over a decade.
At that time, the changeover had been swift and smooth. I left my laboratory at Harvard on a Friday afternoon and started work at NIH the following Monday morning. The situation, however, was different this time. I found myself, on the first day of retirement, with an abundance of free time, with no meetings to attend or organize, and no e-mails or telephone calls to respond to, activities that had been part of my daily routine for many years. It was a strange and surreal experience.
Much like other facets of modern life, retirement today is very different from what it used to be not so long ago. The rapid social, economic and technological changes over the past half a century have had a major impact on people’s decisions when to retire and what to do thereafter. Growing up in a small town in Uttar Pradesh in India in the fifties, I can remember a few of my relations who held out of town jobs, almost always returned home when they reached the magic retirement age of 55 years. In those days, 55-year-olds were considered by the Government as over the hill.
Paradoxically, age and experience were also believed to confer wisdom and singular insight, so retirees were treated with some degree of deference in the community. Significantly, most of them accepted this stereotypical image, and graciously acquiesced in their assigned role. The average life span was shorter than what we expect now, mostly because knowledge of the role of diet, exercise and harmful effects of smoking was virtually nonexistent. Consequently, many suffered from debilitating metabolic and infectious diseases relatively early in life and did not survive for long.
Today, especially in America, fifty-five would be considered middle, not old, age, when many still enjoy excellent health, often embark on new careers, acquire fresh skills and pursue new hobbies. While, the usual retirement age has been pushed back by a decade or so, the rewards and travails associated with it have not changed. At a time when there is no mandatory retirement age, the decision to retire is complicated and requires careful planning.
My retirement was neither abrupt nor inevitable. The Federal Government no longer has a mandatory retirement age, and in theory one can continue to work until physically or mentally impaired. In reality, most people prudently choose to exit before that happens. Those few who linger, because of financial imperatives or other constraints, or because they just like working, may at some stage start feeling like a house guest who overstays.
I had been contemplating retirement for the past two years, since chronologically I had already attained the normal age for retirement. However, the choice had been made difficult as I really liked and enjoyed the work I was doing, and am still blessed with reasonably good health. Moreover, my responsibilities as a scientist administrator permitted me to remain connected with my long-standing research interests, attend scientific meetings and maintain contacts with other scientists.
Over the years, coincident with the technological advances, the nature of my work, involving review of grant applications seeking federal funds, had evolved and undergone major changes. Before I arrived at NIH, computer technology was still in its infancy and I had had minimal experience with it. At NIH, in those days, computers were few. Instead, we enjoyed the luxury of having dedicated secretaries who processed all paperwork, fielded our incoming telephone calls and typed lengthy, technical reports which we sent out to applicants. Now, the number of secretaries has dwindled drastically, as most work is performed electronically and the review reports are transmitted via secure Internet. Besides computer-related advances, many other aspects of the review process have been transformed. Frequent and unremitting changes, however, are generally stressful and take their toll on the morale.
After some hesitation, I decided at the end of 2009 that it was the right time for me to step down, while I was fully functional and my physical and cognitive faculties unimpaired. The announcement brought an expected flurry of expression of good wishes and compliments from friends and colleagues. Once the decision is made, all the doubts and reservations disappear, and soon one gets used to a leisurely pace of life.
In retirement, it is important to stay engaged both intellectually and socially in a variety of activates. Fortunately, living in the Washington area offers some special advantages. The nation’s capital hosts a wide array of social and cultural events. The Smithsonian Institute, the Library of Congress and NIH afford an extensive choice of lectures and educational programs, cultural events and art displays. Among our own organizations, Aligarh and Karachi Alumni Associations organize multiple cultural and literary events. Another noteworthy and uncommon event in this area is the monthly seminars hosted by the veteran journalist and literary figure, Abul Hasan Naghmi, which focus entirely on Urdu literature and poetry.
Finally, retirement provides the opportunity, rare in life, to relax, enjoy, and occasionally to look back, reminisce about the events long past and muse over years that seem to have gone too hurriedly.
