How do People do it?

I’m talking about working in their later years.  I was lying in bed Friday night wondering about that as every bone in my body ached.  I know it didn’t help that I only got 2-3 hours of sleep the night before.  Sleep does wonders to help rejuvenate the body but much of the time it eludes me.  When that alarm goes off, it’s time to hit the floor running whether you slept or not.

Then I scold myself when I think about how many of my coworkers are older than I am.  I was wondering how I can still be working like that in my 80’s.  Yes, you heard that right.  I do have coworkers in their 80’s.  We probably have at least three people this age, several in their 70’s, quite a few in their 50’s and 60’s.  Our youngest coworker is about 23.  As you can see, there are a wide range of people doing food demos.

This job requires standing in one place for six and one-half hours daily unless you do breaks for lunches.  But this breaker shift requires one to be fast on their feet so you stay on schedule.  This fast pace will keep you in shape as you power walk from one end of the store to the other several times and it flies by because there are a variety of demos to do for others that are on their break.

Standing for a full shift is difficult, but most of the time I’m so busy I don’t realize how tired my legs and feet are until I sit down in the car to drive home.  The first thing I want to do is get my shoes and socks off and change clothes.  I’ve been taking a tank top along to work so I can change after my shift.  A shirt with a collar and sleeves is very hot in triple digit heat.  Most of us keep flips flops in the car.  At least I can drive home in comfort.

 Sometimes this is me - thinking about everything under the sun instead of winding down and trying to sleep

 

I still wonder how the 80-somethings keep doing this though.  But they all have a big smile on their faces and put in the hours each week.  Am I that out of shape?  I didn’t think so, but I may have to contemplate that a bit more.  Maybe daily exercise and watching what I eat isn’t enough. 

Of course, after all this thinking, when I looked over at the clock it was 3 AM.  I hadn’t been to sleep yet.  Then I started asking myself, “Are you crazy?”  I don’t know why I do all this thinking at night.  I guess I’m too busy the rest of the time.