When I was young, my mother used to tell me that she wished my life would end because I always wanted to be older. It wasn’t just that he wanted to be older, he wanted the privileges that came with being older. When I was twelve, I wanted to be thirteen so that I could be a teenager. When I was a teenager, I wanted to be twenty-one so I could get a driver’s license and vote.

Throughout childhood and into your late teens, in your mid-twenties, it feels like time has stood still. Wanting to be old enough to go to school… get a driver’s license… date… get a car… vote… be considered an adult… and the years can’t go by fast enough.

When you reach thirty, you are in no hurry to see the years go by quickly. Professional women realize their biological clock is ticking down, men start to think about settling down and starting a family, and suddenly both sexes are more than willing for time to stand still, or at least slow down considerably. .

This is especially true in the workplace.

Many years ago, I was hired as the Personnel Director of a department store and was told by the store manager that the most desirable candidates are between the ages of 35 and 40.

That seemed so unfair. What happened to the concept of life experience and work experience? Wasn’t that important anymore? Were the other age groups supposed to just “softly slip into that good night”?

And then baby boomers started reaching retirement age and they didn’t want to retire at 65. In fact, most of them couldn’t afford to retire at 65.

It’s an amazing thing. When you suddenly realize that you haven’t saved enough money to retire, or when your retirement or pension fund has been embezzled by your employer, you have to find the energy to keep working.

Our workforce, which used to be dominated by younger employees, has grown older and employers are forced to hire them and recognize that experience counts more than, or at least as much as, youth.

It is also a fact that, in addition to living longer, most older adults are healthier, act younger, and want to be more productive in their old age than they wanted to be in their youth.

Step aside, you young wusses… the old men are not ready to retire.