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It occurs to me that yet another casualty of our crazy new mixed-up economy is going to be the retirement party. Gone will be that cinematic vision of the elderly man in a suit, saying goodbye to his coworkers and secretaries in a hubbub of balloons and streamers, making speeches that begin, “When I started in the mail room here 50 years ago...” By the time our generation reaches retirement age, everyone will have retired and restarted their careers several times over already. (Also: what’s a mail room?)
 
Salon has a great user-generated series right now called “My Brilliant Second Career,” the latest installment of which is Katie McCaskey’s fascinating  essay “We Never Thought We’d Be Grocers.” McCaskey tells the surprisingly suspenseful story of how she and her husband lost their jobs, left New York City, and, through many twists and turns, started a grocery store in small-town Virginia. Her story appeals to the “chucking it all” fantasy many of us harbor, while providing just enough realism – investor drama! No heat in the winter! – to avoid romanticizing the life of the small business owner. But in the end, McCaskey writes that starting the grocery store, which has become a kind of community center, "taught me a great deal about community. Specifically, how tightly connected we are, economically and emotionally." (Read McCaskey's essay to find out what feta cheese had to do with this life-changing adventure. )

For this couple, starting a small business not only revitalized their own careers, but also an entire town. As McCaskey put it, “George has taught me how much I value living in a walkable city where my economic efforts directly impact the health and happiness of my neighbors. It’s a role I didn’t imagine but have grown to love.” Maybe we won't really miss those retirement parties after all.

Check out the entire "My Brilliant Second Career" series -- they are as fascinating as they are hope-inspiring.

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