Retire? Let me die young

*Disclaimer*
This is solely base on my opinion. I do not ask you to follow the advice in the following rant. And yes,it is a parody, which means that I am not serious at all.

Was filling up a nomination form for the insurance in the office. It suddenly comes to my realization that, "Hey screw retirement, let me die young."

Why? Make no mistake; ageism is real and rampant in Singapore today. Try getting a job after 40,I can only say good luck and you might just end up as a taxi driver. MacDonald? Yeah, right.

This Miss Boon recently wrote to the ST Forum about her Notice of Termination:

Is it common for companies to sack older workers

I had been a loyal employee of McDonald's Singapore for the past 22 years and had risen from a Trainee Manager to Senior Restaurateur.

I had a reasonably good performance record over these years. In the past 12 months, my performance rating was excellent.

Recently, I was shocked to find myself given a Notice of Termination and was told to leave the company immediately without being given any reason...


And you are telling me that this society in steep in morality and that loyalty is something that is time honored and should be inculcated into everyone? There is a term in Chinese for that: 愚忠 that translate to foolish loyalty. So, at this age of outsourcing and rapid changing corporate landscape which people can be displaced and made redundant easily and it gets more attractive should you served your best years in your company, you are the prime target to be replaced by a newer model which is faster and cheaper so to speak.

So, 1 job till retirement is impossible. And really, is retirement actually possible?
I am afraid not. I have a 25 yrs mortgage that will only be fully served by 57, during this period; my savings in CPF might not be able to even supplement my kids’ (should I have any) tertiary education. And should I get a life threatening disease, it would not just wipe my savings, Medisafe or whatever insurance coverage I have, I risk running into debt and loose my job which does not make my position justifiable.

My medicine to all these woes? Forget retirement, die young. That sounds morbid? Perhaps. But at 40~50, before your company move in on you and render your position replaceable opened to outsource, and that you have a good few years with your kids, watching them grow up a bit. That will be the time.

First off, the house will be covered as I assume that you actually bought that insurance for your house that ensures that in event of death, the outstanding housing loan is paid in full (Provided that you bought it at 100%)

Secondly, insurance is probably just starting to hold cash values. But in event of death, 50K or 100K payout to your next of kins or anyone that you have in your will. (You did have that covered, din you?)

And that's before your kid hit the rebellious teenage years. Imagine that they can't scream at you or yell at you. It is also a few good decades of a good relationship. You don't want it to go sour, no? It s always better to died married then divorce or so they say.

And 1 more thing, after 55, everything goes downhill and I would never want any stroke or cancer gets to me.

So, as it stands, I probably have another 2 and a half decades more to go. I will treasure every minute, enjoy and make the best of it, and since I know how much time I got, why I should I fear death? Should I be gone tomorrow, what is there to fear, all I need to make sure is to get that will and all nominations done and that if it is time, it is time.

And no, I will not take my own life as it is silly and that doing something like that really makes a mess of everything.

So, till then, I shall carry on boring you with my crazy ideas and hare-brained schemes or till they haul me in for offence or another.

*Ok, I am not asking you to die young, those are my opinion on my own life and I believe that I am at least entitled to that. Again, you are not to follow on those advice and thoughts as they are meant for you to read, not to take as advice*