You've worked your whole life to become an expert in your field. But that doesn't mean you can't begin a brand new career.

Linda and Bill Young

After 33 years battling fires in the Los Angeles suburb of Ventura County, Bill Young retired at 57 last March. "I loved the job--the crew, the camaraderie, getting to be a hero," says Young. But years of pounding up ladders ruined his knees, forcing him to call it quits. To fend off the post-career blues that so many new retirees face, his wife Linda enrolled him in an acting class, and at 58, Young hustles from workshops to casting calls, his silver curls standing out among the bleached blondes. Parts for men over 50 are scarce, but so is the competition, one reason Young has landed small roles on TV shows like "Seventh Heaven" and "The Practice."

This is retirement? There was a time when Americans spent their golden years at the bridge club or on the links. But that was before retirement stretched two, even three decades long, during most of which we are healthy and energetic. In addition, Congress recently lifted a huge barrier--the so-called earnings penalty, which had forced Social Security beneficiaries to give up $1 in benefits for every $3 they earned. (A few caveats: Taking on additional income could make a bigger portion of your benefits taxable, and push you into a higher bracket; also, Social Security beneficiaries aged 62 to 65 still are subject to the earnings penalty.)

So now, recent retirees seek entirely new lives that come to resemble second careers. For some, continuing to work is a financial decision, a way to supplement fixed monthly distributions from IRAs, pensions, and Social Security. But for many others, it's a simply a way to cope with the anxiety that comes with closing up shop after working a lifetime.

The options are limitless, though retirees generally parlay skills acquired from their old careers--maybe taking on a three-month long consulting job or perhaps teaching at the local community college. (Acting may have little to do with firefighting, but Young's real-life experience helped snag him a recurring role on "General Hospital" as--what else?--the town's fire captain.)

Marika and Howard Stone

Marika Stone, a business writer, and Howard Stone, an advertising salesman at a publishing house, used their talents to create a Web site where retirees could share their experiences. Marika, 56, and Howard, 64, now devote their time to producing and marketing 2young2retire from their home in Weehawken, N.J.

In their role as Web masters who lead an online retirement community, the Stones regularly confront issues like the difficulty of leaving a career. The retirees who flock to the site agree that the move is made easier when a new endeavor awaits. "I don't think there's a model for what we're experiencing," says Howard Stone. "It's the first time in our modern history when all these opportunities are out there for people who have retired. And that's a good thing, because for those of us who have worked all our lives, it's really a challenge to slow down."

Jane Isenberg and Phil Tomkins

For some, slowing down is just what they need--to focus on their lifelong dreams. When Jane Isenberg and Phil Tomkins lived in Hoboken, N.J., their lives spun frantically around their busy jobs. Then, Parkinson's disease forced Tomkins, 62, to retire as systems administrator at Mount Sinai Hospital. Isenberg decided to retire as well from her job as an English teacher at a community college, and the couple moved to a retirement community in Amherst, Mass.

The slow pace of retired life gave Isenberg the breathing room to embark on her dream to become a writer of mystery novels. She's written three so far--"The 'M' Word," "Death in a Hot Flash," and the upcoming "Mood Swings to Murder." "I loved teaching, but it was so draining," says Isenberg, 59.

Copyright © 2000 Time Inc. New Media.