Most of us start dreaming about quitting when we are in our mid-50s. We are bored with our jobs, tired of repressive bosses and, generally, disenchanted with the tedium of going to work every day.

We ask ourselves, in the famed words of Peggy Lee, "Is this all there is?"

Finally, at 65, many of us call it quits. Although these days, thanks to the downturn in the market which has eroded our stocks, some of us stay on longer — even though we don 't prefer it.

But then there are people like my longtime friend, Denis Sheahan of Westhampton Beach, N.Y., approaching 80, who have absolutely no intention of retiring; Denis enjoys his work too much. And, after all, 80 is the new 60.

Oh, if only more of us could have found a calling, which we liked so much. Denis has been a newsman all his life — I first met him a half-century ago while working for a now defunct New Jersey newspaper called the Hudson Dispatch. Denis moved out to the Hamptons when you could still buy a nice plot of land for a decent price. He has a lovely house with a tennis court and swimming pool, quite an accomplishment for a poor Irish kid who grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Denis became an entrepreneur. He launched a real estate magazine at the right time when development was burgeoning. House Magazine has flourished and he has had a ball. (In the interests of full disclosure, I must report that I have written a column for him the last 20 years.)

But while everyone his age has retired, Denis thinks that is a foolish endeavor. He loves what he does — and he does it well. He stays in shape with a little golf and tennis. And at the magazine, he does virtually everything; he has an ample staff, but he enjoys writing, hustling ads, taking pictures and even loading up his sports car to drop off the magazine at local supermarkets.

So, you might ask yourself, what is his secret? Why doesn't he fall into the doldrums like the rest of us? Why doesn't he tire of the job?

I'll tell you why. For one reason, Denis is a dreamer. He is always thinking about another project: he has been involved in making videos, putting together a TV show and publishing offshoots on remodeling or finance.

It's become a family business. Both of his sons, Andrew and Denis, Jr., are executives at the magazine. Currently, Denis Jr. is the editor and Andrew serves as the publisher.

But don't let anyone kid you, Denis isn't sitting in a rocking chair.

His wife, Christine, publishes another offshoot, Networking — a magazine for women. The family is bunched together in their office at a former Air Force base. Maybe, the family that publishes together stays together.

Denis also lives for the moment: He is not looking way down the road. He definitely does not read pieces about planning a happy retirement, since retirement is not in his plans. Instead, he is searching for what will be present in the next edition of the handsome magazine as well as how to find advertisers.

You can quote all the pointy-headed experts on aging, often young women in the 30s, writing learned treatises on the subject; however, Denis is living now. Just avoid calling him elderly or even a senior citizen.

He is a hard-charging newsman and has been all his life. That's the way he wants it.

E-mail Joe Volz at volzjoe2003@yahoo.com or write to 2528 Five Shillings Rd, Frederick, MD 21701. To find out more about Joe Volz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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