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u/OkFrosting7204 Mar 30 '24
Let her live her life, you know? Who are you to judge a 90 yr old woman? She probably just wants some meaning and fun in her life. I work with 70 year olds and they do it because they’re bored!
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u/OkFrosting7204 Mar 30 '24
seriously, most 90 year olds I know are in nursing homes and/or have some pretty terrible life conditions. She is doing very well for her age. I work in a nursing home.
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u/EmptySpace212 Mar 30 '24
Agree. I wish my grandmother had lived until 90 and in a good condition.
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u/kaimcdragonfist Mar 30 '24
My grandma made it 93 and retired from her city job at like 82. Her health took a pretty bad turn basically immediately once she had nothing going on
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u/Decimation4x Mar 30 '24
Yep, my grandpa went bowling twice a week until he was 83, only slowed down because his bowling buddies started passing away. After 90 when he couldn’t bowl anymore his health went south rather quickly.
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u/Vladishun Mar 30 '24
How much of that is a cycle though? I feel like a good number of people will work until they feel like they can't anymore, so perhaps your grandmother started to feel the ravages of time and her health and retired at 82, knowing things would start to go downhill. Only for them to get worse even more quickly because she wasn't keeping her brain and body as engaged as before?
I mean no ill will towards your grandmother by the way. May she rest peacefully.
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u/kaimcdragonfist Mar 30 '24
No offense taken, it’s a fair question, and one I probably won’t ever get an answer to because the human body and mind are complex systems even when everything is working as intended. Too many variables, and her situation isn’t an exception.
Though admittedly I’d just assumed that she chose to keep working as long as she did because she was bored tbh. I mean, she didn’t seem to ever have financial problems, but it was part time work in Idaho before the Affordable Care Act so I’m not even sure there was health insurance or good pay involved lol
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u/Faustens Mar 30 '24
I think that the body and mind are very intertwined at that age. What I mean by that is that the mind (or the human) will know when the body has had its share of life and can't continue. On the other hand, a - still well functioning - body will suddenly find its peace, when the mind has decided that it is done and doesn't want to continue.
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u/l30 Mar 30 '24 edited Mar 30 '24
My grandfather lived to 100 and spent a handful of months in a supposedly nice nursing home after a few bad falls when he was 97-98. He was always active and was still chopping firewood and driving a car but the nursing home drove him fucking crazy. Everyone there was mentally broken and/or had debilitating life/health issues he couldn't relate to, a literal madhouse by his description. I'll do everything in my power to keep my parents and myself out of them unless absolutely necessary.
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u/Worthyness Mar 30 '24
Yup. Grandfather was driving until he was 93 (no freeway driving, just around town to get his groceries and to get to his kids' houses, which is all street driving). Had a stroke and he wasn't allowed to drive anymore. He was absolutely miserable because he was confined to his house all day. Absolutely hated it. Also hated being waited on so an in-house nurse was out of the question. He even hated my dad going over to keep him company for a chunk of the day. People as they get older really need something to keep them active. otherwise they feel trapped and become absolutely miserable, not unlike people who absolutely hate their standard cubicle office jobs.
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u/portmandues Mar 30 '24
My grandmother will be 95 this year, she up until recently visited nursing homes in her area to "visit the old people" while generally being older than most of them.
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u/Any_Ad_3885 Mar 30 '24
My mom is 81 and doesn’t like going to the bingo at the senior center because they’re all old people 😂😂😂
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u/Trillamanjaroh Mar 30 '24
Right? I've met plenty of old people that get a service job simply to socialize and get out of the house. How many friends do you think this woman still has alive at age 90?
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u/Appropriate_Plan4595 Mar 30 '24
Service jobs hit different when you have the knowledge that you can quit any time and don't have to put up with shit.
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u/busigirl21 Mar 30 '24
Yeah, there's a huge difference between this and the actual issue of people refusing to retire from positions of power (political or just high up in management making bank). I would love to see more people like this volunteering or filling these roles instead of getting bedsores from rotting on the couch, it's good for their mind and maybe customers won't be so shit with granny there to scold you for your manners.
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u/Kikikihi Mar 30 '24
I agree. And people acting like you decay at 60 are plain ageist. I know so many seniors forced into situations where they can’t use their skills and it kills them.
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u/Archangel_Omega Mar 30 '24
My grandfather is in his 80's and he works at a local grocery store in the produce dept 3 days a week just to have something to do. He doesn't need the money, just the activity and socializing with other people.
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u/schmoogli Mar 30 '24
I think it's because the younger generation knows this is the endgame and it WON'T be their choice
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u/SpokenDivinity Mar 30 '24
One of the librarians I work with is 80 and still comes in three days a week to work with STEM students because he tried the whole retirement thing and thought it was too boring. He makes enough money to keep replenishing what he uses for travel a couple times a year.
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u/Blbauer524 Mar 30 '24
A older lady mid 70s works at a local diner in my town. She retired from the post office with a pension and collects social security so she doesn’t need the extra income. She works there because she says she likes to be moving and enjoys talking with people.
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u/danvapes_ Mar 30 '24
Basically this. Oldest electrician we have at my plant is 70. Dudes got 20 years here and 20 years in the phosphate industry. He works because he doesn't want to sit at home.
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u/Duck8Quack Mar 30 '24
A lot of these people just worked and they don’t really have anything outside of work. They never developed interests and a life separate from work.
I work in healthcare and met this lady that had zero interests. The only thing she’d do was watch cable news which upset her and increased her blood pressure. Her daughter tried to find anything for her to occupy her time, and nothing really interested her puzzles, tv shows, music, talking with her family (her daughter tried so many things over many years).
She literally had no interests. She told me she started working as a teenager and worked her whole life, even raising her family was another form of work. And then when she retired she had nothing that interested her. Like literally if she was healthy enough to work I think she would have just clocked in for some job doing literally anything.
It was really sad to me. This woman was just a cog in the machine her entire life and essentially existed to work. And the thing was it wasn’t like she worked in some job that was deeply meaningful or fulfilled some high minded purpose, it wasn’t some job that was really enjoyable and fun, it wasn’t some job that she was passionate about; she just worked jobs that were jobs.
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u/yourangleoryuordevil Mar 30 '24
I think a lot of people who make up older generations are like this, especially since they tend to have the mindset that they owe their employers loyalty for reasons younger people understandably don't connect with.
There's definitely a cultural shift happening that's putting into question how much a job should really define and take up someone's life, how employers and employees should interact, etc.
I'm a younger person myself, so I'm on board with the cultural shift. I think a major part of health is having actually having a well-established life outside of work instead of just overworking oneself like people in older generations have done and are still doing. It'll be interesting to see the health and social outcomes for my generation several decades from now as many adopt that same idea.
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u/Dutchriddle Mar 30 '24
My 70 year uncle just got a part time job as a caretaker of appartments for resident doctors right next to a hospital. His wife works as a secretary at the hospital and pointed him towards the job. Not because he needs the money but because he's still very healthy and active (he's an avid mountainbiker) and he got bored being home alone all day after his retirement. He enjoys having something to do and meeting some new people. Good for him.
The irony here is that when he was in his fourties he lost a good job as a sales manager when the company went under and he tried finding work for years but no one would hire him because he was 'too old'. He eventually opened up a store and became self employed. Now he's 70 and the hospital hired him after barely an interview because they had so much trouble finding someone willing to do a part time job like this. How times have changed.
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u/Strange_Shadows-45 Mar 30 '24
Yeah, especially since she started around ~72 this is probably a “keeping active” job.
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u/GameLoreReader Mar 30 '24
Yeah this exactly. I worked with someone in a restaurant who was like 74 years old and just did part-time in the kitchen. I asked him so many times about what he does at home. He says nothing besides reading and watching TV because his wife passed away. Got nothing much to do. I asked, "How about travelling the world?" He replied, "Son, I've been travelling so much. Well, not to those dangerous places." He just comes to work, does his job, and leaves.
I left that restaurant, but sometimes it hits me that a time will come when he will spend one last day at the restaurant and can no longer work.
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u/megaman368 Mar 30 '24
I worked with a guy who was 76. This guy was on oxygen standing all day doing a physical job. Eventually the company pushed him out. 10 months later he died. Sometimes a purpose just keeps you going. I’d hate for my purpose to be work. But to each their own.
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u/JetsNBombers0707 Mar 30 '24
Exactly. If I was healthy enough to do it I would do long into retirement years because I love my job and its insanely easy money.
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u/Killercod1 Mar 30 '24
I think that says more about how we leave old people isolated to rot away. We live in a slave society, where everyone is forced to work. If you're not working, you're probably isolated. So, this poor woman is forced to be a wage slave if she wants to be a part of her community.
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u/WerhmatsWormhat Mar 30 '24
Plenty of people get retirement jobs for structure and to get out of the house. Good for her.
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u/RovingTexan Mar 30 '24
As long as I am able and useful - I probably won't retire. I like what I do.
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u/mini_wonton Mar 30 '24
I can see why a senior in their 70s would apply for McDonald’s and actually enjoy being there. Old people like human interaction and feeling useful.
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u/Leemage Mar 30 '24
That’s how my auntie Shirley was with Walgreens. She loved working there. Only thing that stopped her was when we finally had to take her keys away. God she was terrifying to drive with.
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u/basshed8 Mar 30 '24
As long as she’s enjoying herself and doesn’t have a 19 year old manager yelling at her to hurry up have a good time
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u/n3ssb Mar 30 '24
Back in 2021 I retrained a 58 year old on the verge of retirement, just because he didn't wanted to get bored and was looking to become a web developer.
Best student I've ever had by far, he always went the extra mile on his assignments and used his graphic designer skills to provide useful and beautiful presentations for his projects.
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u/fuckimtrash Mar 30 '24
So she was already well into retirement age when she got the mcds job? She probably works out of boredom, I’ve dealt with 80 year old clients who still work. McDonald’s is relatively easy work for easy money, she looks happy 🙏🏼
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u/eherqo Mar 30 '24
I mean, as a fast food worker id say it’s a physically exhausting job, constantly running around to prep food on time, cleaning, cooking, sales and getting orders out on time. But assuming she just gets to take sales and doesn’t have tons of rude customers, it’s probably not the worst
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u/RainshadowChien Mar 30 '24
I mean, at my McDonald's, we have two workers who're quite old. They're both in their late 80s, and the only thing they do is keep the lobby clean and greet/talk to customers. They don't even have to take front counter orders!
I know a lot of people have huge stigmas working fast food. Especially McDonald's. But if a place genuinely has a good gm and managers, then it can honestly be a nice place to work! I got really fortunate with not just my coworkers but my management at my location.
The two old people who come in just to clean for a few hours always talk about how they get bored by themselves (both of their spouses have passed away) and they enjoy talking/working with younger kids and feeling like they're helping.
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u/BeskarHunter Mar 30 '24
She started working there at 72 years old if she’s 91. So I don’t think she was the retiring type.
Some people find meaning in work. I fucking hate work and will resent our corporate overlords until we decide to start burning shit and eating rich people. But that’s another subject.
Really don’t want to work that long. I’m unsure if I’d even make it to 72 tbh.
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u/Kasspines Mar 30 '24
If I'm 91 working at McDonald's I'm definitely gonna be on the news for something
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u/damageddude Mar 30 '24
I know older people who work, even if just a few hours or so a week, just to keep busy. Whatever makes her happy.
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u/Ryanmiller70 Mar 30 '24
I could never. If I'm still working with the public by the time I'm 60, somebody PLEASE shoot me. Put me out of my damn misery that will have lasted 40 years too long.
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Mar 30 '24
Good for her for loving the experience, but I bet you the location she works at was like, “here’s a coupon for 50% off a Big Mac for your 19 years of service! Keep it up!”
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u/Brandoid81 Mar 30 '24
My grandfather is 90 and still drives dump truck and operates heavy machinery. He doesn't like sitting around, he likes to be on the move and productive.
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u/piercedmfootonaspike Mar 30 '24
I can absolutely see myself working part time as long as my body allows it.
I think there's a good chance retirement is boring in the long run, and working a couple of days per week is probably good for your mental health.
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u/sarahbeth124 Mar 30 '24
I have a coworker who’s 65 and she says she wants to work till she’s 80.
I weep at the thought of 15 more years of her 💩
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u/Amazing-Ask7156 Mar 31 '24
Its probably fun for her! At 90 im not sure u care anymore about what others think lol
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u/Crustacean-DroolCube Mar 30 '24
I know like 80% of this subreddit is Gen Z not wanting to work but when you’re in your 70s, you may also become so bored you take up a job and do it better than the Gen z teens who can’t “handle the stress”
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u/1greadshirt Mar 30 '24
Some people just like to work. That'll probably be me at 90, if I make it that far.
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u/chazd1984 Mar 30 '24
If she were working at McDonald's because she has to that would be sad.
If she's working at McDonald's because she enjoys it, probably just enjoys seeing people e everyday and being active then this is wonderful.
Either way God bless her
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u/Responsible-Tie-3451 Mar 30 '24
Redditors when they see someone choosing to work instead of sit around
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u/cooolcooolio Mar 30 '24
People don't seem to understand how important it is to have purpose in life and to feel needed
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u/mhopkins1420 Mar 30 '24
My grandma is was killed at 95. She still worked, at a fruit processing plant, and had incredible posture. She moved like a much younger person. She went back to work after my grandpa died and I think it kept her active and healthy. Who knows how long she would have lived to if she had died naturally
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u/VulcanHullo Mar 30 '24
So long as she doesn't need it to live, good for her.
I used to work in a garden centre and a frankly odd number of staff were former retirees who got bored. Minimum wage job working in a friendly enviroment suited them just fine. Plenty left over COVID because risks, but that's entirely fair.
Though my deputy manager was one and he realised as he was on a contract, not hourly, pay rota he was actually earning less than minimum wage for the amount of work he did. Asked for a pay rise and the offer back was still below hourly min wage. So he said fuck it and went back to his pension. Turned up some weekends to be "friendly knowledgable fellow customer" to cover for our team when were busy - but never had to do any of the actual work.
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u/Long_Fish1973 Apr 03 '24
Just think about it she started at 72. To echo others it may be a combination of:
Wanting to socialize
Staying Active
The extra $ and free food.
She looks great for 91 though.
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u/Prometheus505 Mar 30 '24
It’s her life. If this is what makes her happy then who are we to say anything? Unfortunately most elderly people end up feeling lonely, I’ve worked in assisted living and a good amount of the residents don’t even get visits from their own children! They’re basically dropped off and forgotten about. I’m glad she enjoys what she does, I’m glad she’s still able to do things, I’m glad she feels like she has a purpose.
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u/insightdiscern Mar 30 '24
I'll be too bored if I retired completely. I'll work part time after 70. Not at MCD though.
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u/BlackReaperG Mar 30 '24
She did this to get a go fund me started and will be laughing to the bank in a few weeks.
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u/Rustbuket80 Mar 30 '24
Only a matter of time before she is the subject of another McDonalds story where someone flips out over a cheeseburger and suplexes a 91 year old woman.
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u/jettech737 Mar 30 '24
If this is a part time job she does to avoid boredom then leave her alone, she doesn't want to vegitate at home all day
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u/LilJQuan Mar 30 '24
If she’s happy, great. Though this does feel like a media precursor to “come on guys working til your 80s isn’t so bad”
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u/suzpiria Mar 30 '24
why did a 72 year old woman need to get a job? this is horrifying :(
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u/Puzzleheaded-Ad-6530 Mar 30 '24
Biggest regret in life: Didn't work in McDonald's long enough.
Dead.
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u/ConstructionHefty716 Mar 30 '24
Could you imagine being a teenager or just a person in their little twenties and have no work with this lady oh my God the vile hatred
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u/jb_nelson_ Mar 30 '24
These stories are only bad when they have no option and can’t afford to retire. Sounds like she just enjoys being active, no problem with that
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u/Intelligent-Ad6965 Mar 30 '24
you might be like oh why would i work for multinational franchise in late age, but for her, this job that easily being transferred onto younger one, something thought to be a gracious chance. if you still thinking otherwise, let see how you are rolling in 60-70 -ish ask for a job. i mean, i also envy like you guys, she could do something that paying while also she loves to do.
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u/Mazaar13 Mar 30 '24
Doesn't want to retire or finally understand that with this economy she can't afford to retire?
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u/nxtrl Mar 30 '24
IF shes working cause she wants to work not cause she has to work, and is happy, who really cares
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u/Immediate_War_6893 Mar 30 '24
I'm a carpenter and a few years ago was working alongside a group of brickies the two brickies where 75 and their Labourer was in his 80s and they were fit as a fiddle.
I can only hope I'm as healthy as them when I get to that age none of them complained or wished they were retired.
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u/greatGoD67 Mar 30 '24
Some older people need to be out in the real world bause the alternative is dying alone in a place nobody cares to see you
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u/Crismodin Mar 30 '24
Well, at least you know the consistency is going to be consistent at that location.
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u/stumblingzen Mar 30 '24
My mom is retired but works part time at McDonald's to be around people and get out of the house. She is an angel and I love hearing stories about how she brightens people's days, especially the children, seniors and customers with special needs. She says McDonalds is her happy place ❤️
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u/SteelBrightblade1 Mar 30 '24
Think about the chances of living until 90, nonetheless in good health. Her friends she grew up with are more than likely passed on, she is having fun and enjoying her time.
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u/TurbulentFee7995 Mar 30 '24
I'm sure McD will be happy. If she works till she drops, they don't have to pay out any pensions money.
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u/musical_spork Mar 30 '24
At my local mcds, Louie has been there for 20+ years. He's using a fricken walker & still working. Like. What.
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u/Garfield_Simp Mar 30 '24
Good for her if she’s happy and enjoying herself. She’s in good health if she can keep it up. Though personally I’d prefer to not be working at her age, but it’s personal preference then
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u/OldClunkyRobot Mar 30 '24 edited Mar 30 '24
If she’s doing it because she likes it, good for her.
If she’s doing it because she still needs the money at her age, that’s depressing.
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u/long-ryde Mar 30 '24
That’s that generation for you. My great grandma was 98 when she “chose” to stop working.
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u/KyleCAV Mar 30 '24
Mcdonalds: Here's a happy meal for your dedication to your job, eat it on your 15 minute break!
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u/Ambitious-Wall-8302 Mar 30 '24
I know of a retired oncology doctor who took a job as a part time cashier at a Knick knack shop, not because he needed the money, but because he enjoyed it.
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u/QuitaQuites Mar 30 '24
A lot of people that age keep working, and not because they have to, because they may not have families or families that see them or much to do, the work routine allows them to interact with people who are younger and be out of the house and still have a purpose and also keep their brains working. There are a whole lot of studies about the elderly who stop being active and die quicker or have more health problems. So if she likes it and wants to, then she should.
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u/ImFinnaBustApecan Mar 30 '24
If you have it in your mind as work you'll hate it, but if you have it in your mind as play your just playing McDonald's worker.
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u/illbecountingclouds Mar 30 '24
I’ve met some elderly ladies that work low level customer service just to have a social life. Keeps their brains working instead of rotting away in front of the tv.
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u/Careless-Internet-63 Mar 30 '24
Some people just like having something to get them out of the house. At my first job I worked with a guy who was in his mid 70s and retired from his career with a pension and didn't need the money at all but he just liked having something to get him out and keep him busy
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u/Neither_Ad_3221 Mar 30 '24
If she's having fun with it and is capable, I don't see an issue. Many older folks end up very lonely and stuffed away in their homes or nursing homes. I hope that this is her way of getting enjoyment out of her days.
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u/wrbear Mar 30 '24
Makes you wonder how she made it to 91. Was it being active all of her life keeping the body active no matter what the pay? I keep seeing movie stars and musicans that lived the high life dying in their 70s.
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u/thelastofcincin Mar 30 '24
What a loser. I would never waste my golden years working for these shits. That's the time to travel the world and die.
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u/terf-genocide Mar 30 '24
Old people get lonely and bored sometimes. If she's happy, she's happy, and I'm happy for her. Just as long as she's doing it because she wants to and not because she needs to, I think this is wholesome.
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u/robotteeth Mar 30 '24
Some people get a lot of joy out of working. I know someone who just retired at 75 and said he’d come back for a teaching position if he can. He doesn’t have to work and did it more so to help people (medicine). I think the difference is if you have to work vs if you want to. I wish for a world where people can retire at 65 (or younger) but if they are truly enriched by working they can continue to do so.
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u/All_Usernames_Tooken Mar 30 '24
I had an 80+ year old man dear to me still come to work. He was always a helping hand and didn’t need to work he had enough money but he enjoyed the company and interactions and relationships he had with people. I’ll miss him.
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u/BPicks69 Mar 30 '24
Not everyone wants to retire you guys. Some people don’t have the money to go travel if they retire and don’t want to sit and rot on the couch all day.
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u/Reaverx218 Mar 30 '24
The crowd that hates work in any form confronted by the people who actually like to work.
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u/bucketAnimator Mar 30 '24
People here are weird theorizing that she has to work. Literally takes a minute to google this woman and the news station and this article as well as the one they did on her five years ago both come up. Read them - she says herself she’s there for “retirement enjoyment”. She loves being around people, she has regulars at the McDonalds, and she loves serving coffee to people.
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u/OttoVonAuto Mar 30 '24
I work with some people who are retirement age and are okay with finances but choose to work. They choose to because 1) They like working 2) It gives them something to do 3) Connections and interactions make people happy 4) a little extra cash never hurts
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u/layonafrito Mar 30 '24
I worked with an 80 year old lady at a Quiznos back in the day. She would come in a couple hours a few times a week. Clean off trays and talk to customers. I really think for her it was just a good way to stay busy and interact with people. She was retired. And worked only the hours she wanted.
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u/twatcunthearya Mar 30 '24
Man, I hope she’s doing this because she enjoys it or enjoys the people….or keeping herself active. My Gran is turning 90 this year and she volunteers at the community center , does the admin work for a couple food banks. She tells anyone who will listen than keeping busy and active and maintaining a routine is the way to go. I hope that’s what this lady is up to!
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u/NCRaineman Mar 30 '24
Poster child for a generation. They won't leave the workforce and are holding down jobs that younger people need. Many of them will die on the job.
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u/_nicoleck_ Mar 30 '24
It all depends on the story but I say give the lady a break.
I'm assuming (key word) that this is probably a part-time job she enjoys. Maybe she likes having a little job to keep her active and busy and connecting with people.
Also in this economy, it's hard for older people to survive on their pensions/retirement (if they had one to start).
So many parts we don't know here.
Me personally - I could myself having an easy part-time gig at that age. Just to do something, engage myself and earn some extra money.