Vicki Larson: After 19 years, it’s time to say goodbye
Lately, my friends and I have been talking about something we hadn’t talked much about before — retiring. We’re all in our 60s so we’re at the age society expects us to retire, and a few have already taken the plunge — easier to do when you are given a golden parachute to leave by a certain age.
I never really thought about why people are expected to retire. But after I read gerontologist Tracey Gendron’s “Ageism Unmasked: Exploring Age Bias and How to End It,” it all became clearer. Developed in the mid-1880s, retirement was a way to get “old” people out of the work world so young people could take their jobs. And the way to get them to leave was to pay them to go away.
The Industrial Revolution and urbanization helped changed societal attitudes about old people, turning seniors into “burdens,” which led to the segregation of the old and the disabled, and gave rise to the concept of ageism. Hey, thanks.
When I realized retirement was basically a con job to push people my age out of the workplace and society, to strip us of meaningful work and visibility, I initially was pissed. But, I got over it. And after 19 years at the IJ, having survived layoffs, unpaid furloughs, buyouts and the loss of two-thirds of our staff, Thursday will be my last day at the paper.
It’s time.
It’s been a long career — 40-plus years — for someone who didn’t even plan to be a journalist. As a teenaged hippie, I wanted to save the world, so I studied environmental science in college until I did a bunch of stupid things, like dropping out to follow a boyfriend to Colorado and then marrying him. When I finally got my act together and was ready to finish my degree, I was inspired by my mass communication teacher, an editor at the Miami Herald, to become a journalist. It wasn’t quite like saving the world, but it seemed close enough at the time — speaking truth to power and all that. And so I’ve been nothing but a journalist for four decades except for a blip during which I hand-painted fanciful high chairs that were sold in a high-end catalog. Leave it to me to find a new career that actually paid less than journalism.
No one becomes a journalist to become wealthy, however. You do it because that’s who you are. And despite the ongoing challenges of newspaper work, it has been the best career. Ever.
I’ve been lucky to work alongside some of the most talented and passionate journalists who are also pretty cool people. I don’t miss much about going to an office every day — we’ve all been working remotely since the lockdowns — but I really miss the dark humor and camaraderie of the newsroom.
I’ve also been fortunate to have so many wonderful freelancers who have added so much to the lifestyles section. Who knew that when I walked into a local bar one night years ago and started chatting up the bartender — he was cute and I was newly single — that he was an eloquent writer with a journalism degree, and had a lot to say about Marin. And just like that, Barfly was born.
And then there’s Colleen, who wrote to me out of the blue when she was in high school about a project born of grief. I encouraged her to keep in touch. Then she submitted a How It Is essay about her mother’s passing, which broke my heart. I didn’t know her, but I wanted to hug that young woman. A few months later, a position opened up and I hired her — one of the best work decisions I’ve made.
My job has allowed me to interview luminaries like Joan Baez, Elizabeth Gilbert, Diane Keaton, Anne Lamott, Peter Coyote, Jane Hirshfield, Sammy Hagar, Tyler Florence and my girl crush, Laura Kipnis. I’ve also written about local movers and shakers, chefs, authors, comedians, poets, photographers, filmmakers, actors and artists, some of whom have become my friends. It’s truly been an honor and a privilege to cover my community and highlight the many interesting, creative and dynamic people who call Marin home. How blessed we are.
As exciting as interviewing celebs has been, perhaps the most joyous part of my time at the IJ has been getting to know my readers through the features I created — How It Is, the monthly haiku feature, Six-word Stories, Marin Snapshot, Cookbook Critic and the Holiday Cookie Contest, a newsroom favorite — someone had to eat all those cookies! It was always a pleasure to read what Gailya, Susan, Barbara, Noel, Dee, Gigi, Karen, Dart and Esther, and Allison, whose daughter grew up before my eyes on my pages, and so many others had to say. Sometimes they made me laugh, other times I cried. And Mary never ceased to surprise me by finding a new angle to write about her nemesis — leaf blowers — in a six-word story, no matter the monthly topic. I will miss them.
Of course, when I started writing my So It Goes column, not all my readers were fans. In fact, many hated me and proudly displayed their hatred in the comments online. I felt so bad for them when the IJ finally got rid of online comments — sure, they could send me an email, which a few did, but I guess there’s nothing quite as satisfying as saying something mean-spirited online and getting a few likes. Sorry guys!
I’m not actually retiring, just leaving the 8-to-5 daily grind. I’ll still work my numerous side, soon-to-be-main, hustles — I need to eat and have a place to live, after all — and I’ll continue to write. My third book comes out next summer and although they haven’t made much money yet, my first royalty check from my 2014 book — $31.87 — is in the mail, so I have hope.
I’m leaving the IJ but I am not leaving the issues I’m passionate about and now will have the time to throw myself into advocating for — getting people out of cars and on bikes (climate change is an existential crisis and we can’t afford to act like it’s not), creating more affordable housing and working on real solutions to house the unhoused (funny how those two are often related). And I’m not leaving Marin, although who knows what adventures are ahead.
It’s been a great ride. Thanks for joining me on it. See you on the trails.