Breaking the watch : the meanings of retirement in America / Joel S. Savishinsky.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [265]-277) and index.

Introduction : the poignancy and poetry of the everyday -- A first cup : at the firehouse : the unbearable lightness of retirement : ritual and support at the end of work -- A second cup : life is what happens -- Zen masters and master planners : how people prepare for later life -- A third cup : how do you catalog this? -- At work, at home, at large : the sense of person and place -- A fourth cup : behind the mirror -- Looking for the light : the search for passion and purpose in maturity -- A fifth cup : around the lake : the kaleidoscope and the conspirators : kinship, friendship, and meaning among elders -- A sixth cup : the incompleat fatalist -- Death and taxes : dealing with health, finances, and fate in retirement -- Conclusions : lessons and cautions : a final cup : the broken watch.