Originally Posted by
Gerryattrick
When I was working I travelled around companies looking at their training systems. I always felt sad when interviewing people in their mid fifties who moaned at being asked to undertake training in new skills, saying they were too old at their age to be bothered to learn any new skills as they only had 5 to 10 years left to work.
Personally I just don't share their attitude but not everone is the same, and until you walk a mile in their shoes you will never understand.
I think that many mature age people are a lot more flexible in learning new skills than the later generations -- or even they themselves -- recognise.
Much has to do with experience, but I feel that many who remain active throughout their lives have been inquisitive and curious since their childhoods.
Sportspeople aren't really good examples as individual cases. Their lives often are regimented during what are comparatively short careers, and many do not plan for retirement so that when it comes, they are unskilled to do anything else and face a lifestyle that is a far cry from the hero-worship they experienced beforehand.
But there are parallels there with ordinary people. Occasionally, we see a thread here about people retiring and wondering what they are going to do afterwards. Those who don't have a clear, long-term plan are the ones who end up at a loose end and finally, giving up on life.
Me? I've still got people to see, places to go, things to do. And all that's going to take the rest of my life.