Retirement used to be the grand finale of a long career, trading in the 9-to-5 grind for shuffleboard and early bird specials. But a growing number of seniors are tossing out the old script and rewriting their life stories with an interesting post-retirement twist: their ‘second act.’
The reasons vary from financial need or missing social interaction to trying to stay at optimal health, but about 1 in 5 Americans age 65 and over continue to be part of the workforce, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Stitching Together a New Chapter
Brooke Hallman is on her fourth career. “I was a labor and delivery nurse for 25 years, raised my kids, then became a paramedic instructor for 18 years,” Hallman said. After retiring from her paramedic career in 2003, her colleagues, who knew she always kept a sewing machine in the trunk of her car, suggested she start charging for her handiwork. Just like that, Sew What was born.
Now 90, Hallman works six days a week in her Mount Pleasant home, often seeing three to five clients a day. “People ask why I don’t retire. Most people my age who retire just sit around watching TV,” she said. “I’ve got people coming in and out of my door all day. It keeps me social, safe and active.”
She takes time for herself one day a week. “Wednesdays I take off for ballroom dance lessons and errands. It’s my version of a weekend,” she quipped. “And my nails and hair? Sew What pays for that!”
Her work brings joy to her clients, and to herself. “It’s rewarding to see someone try on a dress and say, ‘You saved my life!’ I always say, ‘I didn’t save your life, I saved lives for 18 years.’ This time, I’m just a convenience. But it’s a good thing to be a convenience.”
Hallman’s advice to retirees? “If your brain’s okay, set a schedule. Learn something new. I never took business courses, I just knew how to sew. Now I run an invoice program and built a business. It helps to keep your mind going.”
A Second Sermon
Rev. Mike Fitze thought he was done. He spent the last 15 years of his career as the organizing pastor at Palmetto Presbyterian Church and ‘retired’ in September 2022.
“I only lasted a week in retirement,” he said, grinning. “I didn’t like retirement. I’m a mover and a shaker; I like to build things. So I decided I would go back to the New Wappetaw Presbyterian Church in McClellanville. I was a minister there 30 years ago. It just felt right.”
Now, as a part-time minister commuting from Mount Pleasant, Fitze said he’s found the perfect balance. “It’s exciting. I’m growing the church, doing weddings, baptisms, funerals, all the parts of ministry I love. And without the pressure of trying to ‘make it.’”
Fitze’s second act allows him to tap into his creativity. He writes sermons, sends out “Mike’s Monday Message” to the congregation and leads community initiatives. At home in the retirement community where he and his wife Rosemary live, he stays fit with water aerobics and pickleball, but admits, “I can only play so much pickleball before it gets monotonous. I need something that challenges me mentally.”
Financially, he’s stable with a pension and Social Security, but the part-time work is a benefit for him and for the church. “The church doesn’t have to pay pension since I’m over 70, so I save them money,” noted Fitze. “But for me, it’s about more than income. I feel like I have a purpose.”
Fitze believes that staying engaged with people of all ages helps keep him young. “It’s good to be around different age groups. Whether it’s in the ministry or if you’re working at a store, being around others gives you perspective and energy.”
Power of Purpose
For both Hallman and Fitze, continuing to work in retirement is a choice rooted in passion, and it keeps them engaged and active.
“I like to be up, dressed and active every day. Because I have my clients to prepare for and work to do, I have a reason to do that. Every morning I text my daughters to say I’m up. They text back, ‘I love you.’ That’s how we start the day,” beamed Hallman.
Fitze echoed the sentiment. “If we weren’t old, this would be the perfect life,” he laughed. “Life is good, and this helps me feel like I still make a difference.”
Their stories are powerful reminders that age is not a barrier to ambition. Whether you’re 73 or 90, there’s room for reinvention. If you’re staring at retirement and wondering what’s next, the second act might just be the most fulfilling part of the play.
By Anne Toole
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