answer:My dad does his own booking business in his retirement, and he hates when it is worded the way I just worded it. I’m not exactly sure why it bothers him, but it seems to me he feels it discounts the work and success he is having now doing his own business. I think he is ok with saying he is retired from the government (he worked for the government and retired with them) but does not like being labeled as “retired.” if you ask him what he does, he would tell you what he does now, and depending on how the question is asked he might also talk about his previous career. I never really hear my mom use the word retired either, now I wonder what she thinks about it? She is retired from the government also. She helps my dad sometimes in his business, but she doesn’t really identify with it. I guess they avoid the word retired for the most part. Although, when I set up my dad’s facebook account I did put he was retired, because he did not want it to look like he still worked at that company. I don’t think they feel like moochers since they worked many years to earn their pensions and they made less than a lot of peers during their career, but have the benefit of pensions.