When I retire, I plan to read every morning and bake bread from scratch. I’d like to resume Spanish classes and finally become fluent. And I plan to see movies mid-afternoon, take long, leisurely walks leading nowhere in particular, and travel as much as possible. Does this sound familiar?
Dreaming of retirement is one coping mechanism many of us tap into, including director John Kelly. Along with his co-writer Tara Lawall, Kelly created a charming animated “Retirement Plan” detailing all the things he’d finally like to do as an older person no longer tethered to the office. He intends to play a single song impeccably on the piano, finally organize the pantry, and take a hike—or better yet, understand what the point of taking a hike is.
With the ability to make viewers both laugh and cry, the short film captures both the excitement of anticipation and the sometimes lackluster reality of finally diving in. As one commenter points out, the animation also checks a particular item off the protagonist’s list: “write a devastating yet optimistic piece of poetry.”
Watch “Retirement Plan” above, and spend the rest of the day envisioning all the things you plan to do in that dreamworld we call retirement.
