I started at the place I'm working at now right out of college, and there was a pension that was intended to provide 85% of your final salary from retirement to the end of your life; I would have had all my retirement points at 55. Then like 15+ years ago, the company was sold and the pension was frozen. Still a great thing, but nothing close to what it was supposed to be.
When I turned 55, I was pretty pissed off about it - I should have been able to retire. Then I realized that I could easily live another 30 years. That's an awfully long time. Sure, the money would have been nice, but I don't think I would have wanted to retire then. I'm getting close to it now, and still it seems like a long time potentially.