Larry D. Lauer

Retirement seems to be on the mind of many people these days. It keeps coming up in conversations with colleagues everywhere.

I certainly never thought about retirement in the way my father did. At age 65 he called it quits. But these days it seems that more and more people are thinking differently about the end game.  In some cases it might be that people generally are healthy longer. In other cases it might be the consequences of an uncertain economy. But for many of us there remains a strong continuing feeling that our work is not yet done!

Truthfully, I never experienced any of the passages that many of my friends did. I cruised from my 20’s into my 30’s hardly noticing it. When the 40’s came along I was too preoccupied with career survival to even notice. For me mid-life crises never happened. Or, if they did I never focused on them.

At 65 my only fear was that I would over stay my executive position, as many others had done without realizing it. But together, the chancellor and I found a new challenge  before I knew it.  And so, I was off still again for another adventure.

Now at age 70, here we go again. I must admit I have started to think about how long all this can go on, but I indeed do want to go on! And so once again came the possibility of thinking “transition” rather than retirement. This time it seemed prudent to simplify and focus this next stage a bit. And so, the chancellor and I came up with a plan for me to retire as vice-chancellor, but then to reconnect in post-retirement positions as vice-chancellor emeritus and senior fellow in TCU’s John V. Roach Honors College and Schieffer School of Journalism. This time it’s back to the world of ideas and extraordinary students for me, and once again I am reenergize.

Several weeks ago I attended my last trustee meeting where the chancellor explained all this perfectly. Then during honors week, I reengaged with some of the best students on the planet.  Now this week I attended the university’s annual service recognition and retirement ceremony, and again my official retirement was explained more as a transition.

After all, everyone’s ability to make a difference never goes away. It just matures and becomes more experienced. And luckily, today seems to be a time when many of us can actually think this way, and actually make it happen.