WOW - Retiring at 100, Full of Life's Lessons

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Arthur Winston, who recently turned 100, retired after over 70 years of dedicated service at the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority, missing only one day of work in his career. He expressed his love for his job, which earned him recognition, including a congressional citation as "Employee of the Century." The discussion reflects on differing views of work and retirement, with some valuing lifelong dedication to a job, while others see it as stagnation. Many participants emphasized the importance of finding fulfillment in work rather than merely viewing it as a means to an end. Ultimately, Winston's story serves as a reminder that happiness in one's work can define a successful life, regardless of the nature of the job.
  • #31
When they intereviewed him, he said he liked to help people. As a black man running a bus terminal, he could do a lot of good for his people than by mopping a floor. He could donate the rest of his income to his church for all I care. The point is, its utterly useless for a competent man to mop a floor his whole life. I'd rather die 20 years earlier due to stress by actually acomplishing something with my life, than living 1000 years doing nothing. I'm sorry to say this, and I don't want to belittle or disrespect the man, he seems like a really nice nice guy. But I mean common, what did you do with your life? He could have worked 70 years and made it to the top, all the while getting the same regonition and awards.
 
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  • #32
Perhaps his career was not the goal. You know, most people are just putting in their time; day in and day out. Work is something that you do, not something that you choose. As for me, I'd rather work 16 hours for myself than 8 hours for someone else.
 
  • #33
If it was not the goal, then don't work there for 70 years. Common, gimme a break already.
 
  • #34
cyrusabdollahi said:
If it was not the goal, then don't work there for 70 years. Common, gimme a break already.

For many people losing a job is about the worst thing that can happen. At any time, a good percentage of the population...I think anyone below what is defined as middle class, live a little more than a month ahead of being thrown out on the street. In effect, people are trapped, and for a black man this was esp true. Keeping a good job with the Bus company [excuse me, the city! That is living well by many accounts] was probably considered "doing well" in his neighborhood.
 
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  • #35
Yeah he had a job with the city, and a secure job, sure. That does not mean he had to be limited to mopping a the dirty floor of a stinkin bus his whole life. I'm sorry, it's sad and pathetic. Just imagine, 70 years and he goes no where in life. How does a promotion increase his chances of loosing his job? The guy mopping the floor is the first to go!
 
  • #36
Math Is Hard said:
Good for him! I don't understand this rush to retire that some of the others have expressed. I love to work and be useful and I plan on working as long as my body and mind will hold up.

Some people don't like their jobs. Some people think retirement is a blast.

Some people end up like my mother who retire, get bored off their butt, and get another job after a while haha
 
  • #37
cyrusabdollahi said:
Yeah he had a job with the city, and a secure job, sure. That does not mean he had to be limited to mopping a the dirty floor of a stinkin bus his whole life. I'm sorry, it's sad and pathetic. Just imagine, 70 years and he goes no where in life. How does a promotion increase his chances of loosing his job? The guy mopping the floor is the first to go!
Not necessarily. Usually middle management are the first to get whacked. And upper management, who do the whacking, don't care to mop the floors themselves.

Penqwuino said:
Some people end up like my mother who retire, get bored off their butt, and get another job after a while haha
Sounds like me. I'd have to do something after my little penguin left the nest.
 
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  • #38
Not necessarily. Usually middle management are the first to get whacked. And upper management, who do the whacking, don't care to mop the floors themselves.

Wait a minute. Were talking about a government job here. NO ONE gets fired, you could be a retarded donkeys ass and STILL have job security! :smile:
 
  • #39
cyrusabdollahi said:
Wait a minute. Were talking about a government job here. NO ONE gets fired, you could be a retarded donkeys ass and STILL have job security! :smile:

Government jobs are given to retarded donkey asses at an almost exclusive rate
 
  • #40
Government jobs are given to retarded donkey asses at an almost exclusive rate

So that includes Bush right?? Well I have to say I aggree there :smile: :smile:
 
  • #41
Anttech said:
So that includes Bush right?? Well I have to say I aggree there :smile: :smile:

Saw that coming from a mile away. I was going to pre-empt everyone on it but i wanted to let someone have a laugh :biggrin:

And it's actually probably easier to impeach a president then it is to get a government worker fired these days :smile: :smile: :smile:
 
  • #42
Math Is Hard said:
Not necessarily. Usually middle management are the first to get whacked. And upper management, who do the whacking, don't care to mop the floors themselves.
That does happen. Low level (compensation-wise) may be first to go en masse, but then I have seen middle level people get terminated and upper level people get buyouts (in some case, way too generous) - and all in public companies, not government.

The higher the level, the greater the cost - and the more likely to get sacked if a company is performing poorly.

I wonder what opportunities Arthur Winston did have. I wonder if he could have gone to college back in the 1920's or 1930's. Likely given the climate back then, he was not in a position to become a manager, and the further he went along in time, the less likely that would become. If he was able to provide for his family and be happy at his job - then all I can say is "Well done!"

Perhaps now he can become a philosopher or consultant. :rolleyes:
 
  • #43
Regardless of how my life turns out, I hope that I am ABLE to work until the age of 100. I hope I can be useful to others my whole life whether I work at a job, or not.
 
  • #44
My paternal grandfather was active until he got to 103 years. The last 6 months were problematic with recurrent pulmonary problems and the onset of fainting spells. The last month he was in hospital and after a second serious pneumonia-like infection, the staff finally accepted the "DNR" (Do not resuscitate) order.

He had lived a good life, and it was time for him to die, rather than keep him alive in a hospital bed with 24 hr care. He had outlived his wife (grandma) by about 24 years.
 
  • #46
That's the best way to go I suppose.
 
  • #47
He really liked his job
 
  • #48
Well, he certainly went out with a bang.

It said that he was suffering from dehydration and exhaustion. I wonder why?.
 
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  • #49
cyrusabdollahi said:
Yeah he had a job with the city, and a secure job, sure. That does not mean he had to be limited to mopping a the dirty floor of a stinkin bus his whole life. I'm sorry, it's sad and pathetic. Just imagine, 70 years and he goes no where in life. How does a promotion increase his chances of loosing his job? The guy mopping the floor is the first to go!

I don't think anyone who has posted so far knows enough about his motives and exactly what he did with his time to be making these kinds of judgements. Saying that he wasted his life because of the position he held or how many promotions he received or how much money he earned borders on arrogance. It's my understanding that Einstein had some of his best ideas while he was a patent clerk. I bet there are teachers who are/would be content with having held the same position, promotionless, for more than half a century. Didn't Henry David Thoreau not even work at all during two years of his life? He was content to simply live in a forest, sustaining himself, and I'd say he accomplished a great deal while doing so.

How do you know exactly where this man "went in life"?


To clarify a slight detail, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/22/eveningnews/main1431707.shtml" indicates that he worked as a "cleaning supervisor".
 
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  • #50
Here's an unfortunate update:

Arthur Winston, who set a remarkable personal record by missing only a single day in 72 years of work, died of congestive heart failure Thursday as he slept in his South Los Angeles home. He was 100.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-041406winston_lat,0,3104356.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Sorry. I din't see Ivan's post a page back. Sorry to dig this up again
 
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  • #51
I've never had a job in my life and I'm already looking forward to retirement.
 

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