Dec '25 (edited) • General discussion
The sentence that stayed with me for 50 years
It was the mid 1970’s. I was a young supervisor in an engineering factory and had around 40 or 50 employees in my department – mostly men.
I remember one occasion like it was yesterday and it’s stuck with me ever since.
It was a Friday afternoon and the guys, on the morning shift were just finishing up. We had arranged a little presentation for one of the guys, Ken, because he was retiring that day.
Back in those days you were forced to retire when you reached 65. There was no opportunity to carry on working for a few extra years if you enjoyed your job like you can today.
Anyway, I had gone round mine and other departments making a small collection plus persuaded management to chip in and bought him a pocked watch as a leaving present.
We all gathered round my office and I presented Ken with his pocket watch thanking him for all his hard work and wishing him a happy retirement.
Everyone clapped enthusiastically amidst shouts of Speech! Speech!
Ken was not a great speaker, like many of the factory workers, especially in front of all his work mates – down the pub, yes but not in the factory.
What Ken said in the few words that followed shocked me and have stayed with me ever since.
“Thank you all for this very kind present, I really wasn’t expecting anything - so thank you.
“I’ve enjoyed working here all of these years and am sad to go. Well, I guess that’s it now then, it’s all over.”
At that point he said his individual goodbyes and left.
I had a little chat with him and it seemed like he considered his life was over. He had no hobbies and wasn’t looking forward to life without work.
It was like he was going away to wait to die and that made a major impression on me. I’ve never forgotten it.
Now that was a time when the life expectancy, especially for men was much shorter than it is now but how sad to think that retirement meant dying soon.
That incident taught me two main lessons.
1. Enjoy every day of your life to the fullest
2. Consider the second half of your life as the start of something new and exciting – and plan for it.
That was a long time ago and I moved on from the factory into IT and eventually into marketing online.
All these years later, I created this community. To help as many people as possible, just like Ken, to plan for and get a better life after 50.
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The sentence that stayed with me for 50 years
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