Until what age should we work 9-5 to live?
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Some of us were fortunate to step on one of the highest paying corporate worlds and living the life that everyone dream of. While some of us were swimming in mud just to be fed at least three times a day.
We envy those people work while wearing skyrocketing expensive coat and tie, while we disgust our selves going home with a sweaty shirt and worn out jeans. We dream to have perks like a travel to different countries for work, while some travel to another country to work and leave their family behind.
But little did we know that corporate people driving a Mustang from home to work, and those running fast to grab the train or bus to home are just the same. We both get tired and asking our selves until when should we do this? Until should I wake up early to report for our bosses? When will we become the boss? Or better yet, Until when should we work?
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They say that life begins at 40. My own opinion is that by this age I should only be waking up to catch the latest news on the TV, grab my cup of coffee, travel, and spend all the times left with my family.
Life is too short. Ever since we started holding a crayon, we are already struggling. We struggle to fill in the drawings with the right colors without going out of the outline. We tried our best to keep the color close to the real ones. Then we tried our best to write our own name on our own (Yet, we keep on giving our child the longest name we could think of). Until we went to universities and kept on trying to please our professors to at least give us the margined grades.
Then at 20ish we started living the busy streets and thrive to live. Borrowing a strength from a cup of coffee and energy drinks. Upon reaching our cubicle, voila! deadlines and deadlines and deadlines are piled up.
Every day, this is the routine. Then at the window is an advertisement of the best place to distressed. But how will that be possible? When is the time? Or if we find the time, we will still go back to the old routine.
Some say that we don't live just to pay bills, and for us to live, we don't have a choice.
So we started working at 20 and planning to retire at 40 to live the life. That is 20 years of working and saving for the life.
I said to my self that I should just be staying at home when I reach 40, by that time, I should've invested properties to suffice my needs even I am already out of the corporate world. A 4-door apartment for business maybe or better.
What about the latest edition car and the latest smartphone? I need to get them while in a corporate world for me to get along with my workmates, or to see what I am working for. Which there will be a "latest" every 3 or 6 months. There is always a newly released car every year. And there will always be a travel with friends every quarter. And we don't want to be missed out.
Also, unwanted incidents may occur. Like hospitalization or worst passing of our loved ones.
As a result, 40 may not be possible. I still have to work at 40.
Let's go to 50 then. An extension of 10 years. By the age of 40, most of us may have children already and they are maybe in their teens. And like my father always told us that, "it is an obligation of a parent to provide for their child's needs, even those leisure as a reward". And part of that of obligation is to send them to school. A good school which we have to pay of course.
So 50ish wouldn't be possible because, by that age, our children will be in college and here come the skyrocketing tuition fees of universities. In other countries, universities are offering a Study now, pay later program, wherein the student may take their choice of studies and will just pay the school once they are already working. They will pay the university as part of their debt. So the cycle will just repeat to our children.
So 60ish couldn't be possible too. At the age of 65, we don't have a choice but to stop. That is the law of the government. Unless we are a chairman of a big corporation. By this age, we will receive our monthly pension, by this age we are secure. Our child may be at the right age to stand on their own, If fortunate enough we will be receiving a monthly pension that is enough for us spend for our living, for our medicine. Of course, travel may not be possible because of lacking strength. And that if we are fortunate to be still living at this age. No one knows.
So, until what age should we work 9-5 to live?
I guess, there is no answer to that. It is only a matter of responsibilities. And it is only up to us to decide.
