21/07/2025
ARE YOU INDY?
Andrew Middleton received a huge shock when, in his late 50s, he walked into a meeting one day:
"...someone said, “Oh, you’re still here” Not in a fun way. More of a ‘shouldn’t you be retired’ kind of way.
That was my first real encounter with ageism. I wasn’t ‘seasoned’ anymore. I was ‘overcooked’.
I wasn’t fired, I was gently airlifted out of relevance."
While in this space, Andrew met many others in their fifties and older. "Talented, clever, funny, and completely ignored by the mainstream job market. We met for coffee. Talked about what we used to do, still do and what to do next. So I started something, built a space with it’s own flavour. I called it INDY. I’m Not Done Yet. Because we’re not! We’ve still got time, we’ve still got energy, and most importantly, we’ve still got more to say!"
If you are in your INDY phase, you are most definitely NOT done yet - there is so much to learn in the technical and digital space alone which will keep you up to speed with the world around you. And your children and grandchildren will be bowled over when you confidently tell them about your Instagram reels, or show off your prowess with Google search.
You are not done when you retire, you are just starting!
I’m 66 now. Officially a senior citizen. I’ve got my bus pass, which I thought came with a standing ovation, turns out it just gets you to Lidl quietly! Conventionally by now I should be retired. Feet up, garden shed, occasional cruise. Instead, I find myself running a community for over 50s, gi...
