Phyllis Webster, 81, stays busy travelling, visiting family and volunteering. 'I can’t imagine anyone being bored in retirement,' she says. 'There’s so much you can do for yourself and your community.'Chad Hipolito/The Globe and Mail
In Tales from the Golden Age, retirees talk about their spending, savings and whether life after work is what they expected.
Phyllis Webster, 81, Victoria
I retired in 2008 at age 65 after a very interesting 28-year teaching career, starting in Cape Town in 1965 at the height of Apartheid, followed by years in Australia and England and 21 years in Winnipeg. I loved my career, including my last job teaching high school literature and journalism, but it was time to let some of the younger part-time teachers be able to work full-time. Also, my husband had retired a couple of years earlier and was waiting for me to stop working so that we could travel more.
Our first post-retirement trip was to Australia. I remember we were snorkelling with a group of people off the coast of Cairns on the Great Barrier Reef and I got talking to a young man from Germany. I mentioned to him that, on that particular day, it would’ve been my first day back at school in Canada, but I had recently retired. He asked me how I felt and I burst into tears. Even though I was in this beautiful place, I was sad not to be going back to school. I still am a little sad every September.
Travel is a big part of my retirement. Other places my husband and I have visited include South Africa (for our 50th wedding anniversary), Europe, South America, Vietnam and Cambodia. We’ve also travelled extensively across British Columbia after moving to Victoria in 2010.
I’ve volunteered for many organizations over the years. My main focus today is the Grandmothers Advocacy Network. It has been a wonderful experience working with women across Canada to help the government understand the necessity of supporting grandmothers and youth in Africa. Our latest focus is on child nutrition.
My husband and I are fortunate not to have financial problems because we have good pensions and have been careful with our spending and investments. I’m also very conscious of what I invest in, including no guns, tobacco or oil companies. I believe ethical investments aren’t only the right thing to do for your soul and heart, but they can also grow and help you fuel your retirement. I have bought a few shares in various resource companies that I think are unethical so that I can go to their annual meetings and ask questions. They don’t make it easy, though, especially during the pandemic when the meetings were online.
I have found retirement very rewarding, between travel, volunteering and spending time with my two children and two grandchildren. I walk everywhere I can and am fortunate to now live in a mild climate so that I can be outside often. Keeping your body moving and mind active is important. I spend a lot of time writing and have recently helped two friends with their memoirs. I am thrilled to be listed in the acknowledgments as a person who has a passion for commas and semi-colons. I plan to brush up on my Spanish and French this year.
My biggest problem right now is I have such a busy schedule that quiet time is at a premium. I often joke I might have to return to teaching because the schedule is more regular and dependable. I can’t imagine anyone being bored in retirement. There’s so much you can do for yourself and your community. I think keeping busy also helps you live longer.
- As told to Brenda Bouw
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Are you a Canadian retiree interested in discussing what life is like now that you’ve stopped working? The Globe is looking for people to participate in its Tales from the Golden Age feature, which examines the personal and financial realities of retirement. If you’re interested in being interviewed for this feature and agree to use your full name and have a photo taken, please e-mail us at: goldenageglobe@gmail.com. Please include a few details about how you saved and invested for retirement and what your life is like now.