The first Baby Boomers were born in 1946; now they’re mostly in retirement. Eight 75-year-olds around the world share how they’re doing.
Syed Shaukat Jamal
RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN
I was born in Munger district in Bihar state in eastern India. My father was a journalist working in the metropolitan city of Karachi. After the partition happened between Pakistan and India, my family and I also moved to Karachi.
After finishing grade 10 in 1961, I moved to Lahore in the north of Pakistan and found some administrative jobs. In the early 1970s, I worked for Pakistan International Airlines and then landed an administrative job in a private company in Saudi Arabia, and I lived there for the next four decades. My wife and I raised three sons and two daughters in Riyadh.
My job was very interesting; it was multifaceted with annual pay increments and many added benefits, like health, car and housing allowances. It was very secure. I was never scared that I might get fired.
In the beginning, I didn’t give my post-retirement plans any heed, but as I aged, I started investing and looked forward to the gratuity I would get at the end of the service. Otherwise, I didn’t have any retirement plans. One needs to make investments in one’s youth to have a better old life.
Working abroad was not very easy. A lot happened when I was away from Pakistan, both celebrations and tragedies. My parents died, my siblings died, and I couldn’t spend time with my loved ones. But for those sacrifices, I am glad I have a healthy life and all my kids are educated. They all are married and happy.
My wife and I now live with one of our sons and his family in our own house. My living expenses are about 150,000 Pakistani rupees ($850) per month. When I worked in Saudi Arabia, I bought some properties in Pakistan. When I moved back at the beginning of 2021, I sold some properties, bought a house and invested in others to keep my money rolling.
My daily routine now consists of reading, going for walks, watching TV and writing my poems. My father knew Urdu, Persian and Arabic and loved poetry, too. I got my interest in poetry from him. I have written five Urdu poetry books, the first of which was published in 2000 and the latest in 2019. I wish to spend as much of my time as possible with my family — and to write poetry for the next generation. — as told to Annam Lodhi
