Age is just a number! Age is just a number!

At the age of 65, what would a lady be expected to do? Just enjoy retired life with family and grand-children. Join some senior citizen’s group and spend time doing holy vacations, right? But what if the person has not reached the state of that boredom yet and wants to do something more? Well, I have found my motto of life even after retirement. Here is my story.

I was a professor in a renowned college teaching Japanese language. I was enjoying my teaching profession. Staying amongst the younger students kept me younger as well. Watching your students grow and be successful in their life is a great achievement for a teacher like me. My students would always remember me and come to meet me even after passing out from the college. On my retirement program, I was very overwhelmed by the love and respect shown to me by all the students and colleagues. Many people advised me to start tuition for students. But working as a full time teacher for 40 years, I didn’t want to again make myself duty-bound with the time restrictions. So I humbly denied that idea. Although I did not plan about what I would do after retirement, I was at least sure about what I didn’t want.

So for a few months after my retirement I was enjoying to spend time with family, playing with grandchildren, going to friends’ place, meeting relatives and going for vacations. I joined a singing class too. I was doing everything that I could not do during my service tenure.

However, how long would you enjoy the free time when you are used to working for 40 years? Soon my instinct for teaching started peeping in. One day I went to my college just to meet my ex-colleagues there. They were happy to see me after a long time. I also felt like nostalgia when I remembered my days in college. I returned home with a heavy heart. I wanted to do something but was not sure of what and how.

Then I started seeking any option that would not keep me engaged physically and still I can fulfill my desire to share my knowledge with the people. One of my students casually asked me “Madam, you have 40 years of experience and hold so much knowledge not only in your subject but also in many areas of life as you have always guided us and we still miss you when we need to make decisions in life. Why don’t you share your knowledge on PinkDesk?” “The idea is not bad but I do not know how to go about it” I said. Shreya happily showed me how could I join the community which was meant exclusively for women and Pink Desk did look like a genuine platform to me. Btw, isn’t it a strangely warm feeling to be taught by students you have taught! “You can write blogs, post videos or answer in forum under Career and Education category” Shreya informed. Now I was keen on sharing my knowledge by answering the questions on the Forum under Career and Education category. I wondered, how far we have come with the help of technology. It is amazing to be able to share knowledge sitting anywhere and get a feedback as well. People liked my answers and I was getting good appreciation from the audience. I was really enjoying it.

Pink Desk kept me informed about how well I was doing through PD score which got generated on every answer of mine based on how well it performed with the readers. I realized that I can even pursue their featured expert program under Career and Education category which would indeed help me build an identity globally as an Expert in my subject. “It costs nothing and doesn’t require anything extra” I thought. All they would do is start tracking your PD score in your specialized domain so I have decided to give it a try.

I am fulfilling my desire of sharing knowledge with the world and earning money through it too. More than the money, I feel overwhelmed just knowing that I am doing my bit in empowering women. I use my PD cash to buy products and services from other women and life seems to be coming full circle!

Retirement was just a new beginning for me and what would be the best way to retire than to nurture the new saplings with all that you have got. I didn’t want my experience to die with me.

Everyday I still have a lot to look forward to and that keeps me away from feeling old and unwanted. So if you are thinking that life is over after retirement, give it a second thought. Life is not about how many years you live; it is about how much life you fill in your years!

 

[Priyani Gupta]

Your article is a refreshing and inspiring account of life after retirement, challenging the stereotypical expectations often placed upon elderly women. However, I’d like to offer a practical, appreciative, and slightly critical response—more as a conversation starter than a disagreement.


First, hats off to your clarity of thought post-retirement. Many people find themselves lost in the sudden void left by a long-standing career, but your transition from a traditional teaching role to a digital mentor on a platform like PinkDesk showcases both adaptability and a progressive mindset. You not only embraced technology but also found a new identity without succumbing to societal pressures to “just rest.”


That said, we must acknowledge an underlying societal discomfort: why is a 65-year-old woman seeking fulfillment beyond domesticity still considered unconventional? Your article gracefully touches this nerve but doesn’t entirely confront it. The idea that older women are expected to “withdraw” from professional engagement reflects a deeper ageist and sexist bias in our culture. The way you’ve turned this expectation on its head is worth celebrating—but also worth critically analyzing. There are thousands of retired professionals who still hold immense knowledge and experience, yet remain invisible because society deems their time ‘up.’


Your story also opens up an important discussion about the digital divide. You had a student who introduced you to PinkDesk, and that speaks volumes about the role of intergenerational learning. Still, what about those who lack such support or access? Could PinkDesk or similar platforms do more to onboard retired professionals who are not as digitally fluent? Maybe part of your advocacy can include mentoring others like yourself to cross that digital threshold.


What’s commendable is that you did not just settle for casual post-retirement hobbies but instead pursued a purposeful avenue that empowers others. However, I’d caution against romanticizing this route as the ideal for all retirees. Not everyone may feel the same energy, or have the same educational background and social network. Your story is powerful, but it’s also uniquely privileged in terms of the intellectual capital and resources you had before retirement.


Your narrative beautifully captures a generational shift: from being the teacher to becoming the learner once again. That cyclical relationship with your students is a reminder that learning never ends—and neither does the impact of a good teacher. It’s heartwarming and symbolically important that the torch of teaching was passed both ways.


In a world obsessed with youth and productivity, your journey redefines what it means to age with dignity, wisdom, and purpose. More than just contributing answers online, you’re disrupting stereotypes and empowering a silent demographic. That, in itself, is a quiet revolution.


Thank you for not letting your experience fade quietly into the background. May more retired professionals—especially women—find the courage to explore the “what next” of life, just as you did.


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