Man celebrates 98th birthday after spending his whole life working 7 days a week
Harley Young
Featured Image Credit: Fox 32 Chicago
A man living in Chicago has recently celebrated his 98th birthday after spending his life working seven days per week.
98-year-old Joe Grier celebrated almost a century on the earth on 9 May, and recently spoke to Fox 32 Chicago about his incredible work ethic.
Joe works for Victory, a manufacturing company based out of Chicago, where he makes the moulds for various trophies and awards. He is believed to be one of the oldest full-time employees in the country, possibly even the world.
Well, Joe decided to celebrate his birthday at work and explained the main reason as to why he enjoys coming into work every day.
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“It makes me feel good,” Grier explained. “I’m able to associate myself with things that I’ve associated myself with for so long. It’s a habit.”
He also shared his secret to a long life, which he believes is 'controlling [his] own thinking' and having a positive outlook towards any everyday problems that you face.
“It’s how you look at them and how you deal with them and then, they’re no longer a problem,” he explained.
Grier highlighted that his positively is a large part of the reason as to why he laughs 'a lot' and that laughing comes very easy to him.
The craftsman hinted that his happy-go-lucky outlook on life may be part of the reason he's made it to almost ten decades on the planet and still feels fit enough to go to work without a day off.
He told Fox 32 Chicago: “Perhaps it’s because of my long years of living and the things that I’ve experienced, most things are funny.”
President of Victory, Eric Priceman, has praised Grier for his hard work and dedication over the years, supporting the team and being a 'mentor' to them.
“He’s just somebody who has been here for so long, who teaches us everything, who has taught us everything,” Priceman continued.
Grier spoke to Fox 32 back in July 2020 during the pandemic, joking that this was 'quite enough' time for him. Even during the pandemic, Grier continued to be a key player and visited Victory's factory to train up new colleagues.
Grier told the news outlet that he wasn't nervous about the pandemic or when things tend to go wrong, explaining: “Whatever comes up, I’ve already been through it.
“So, I have no surprises. In other words, I’ve said: ‘Whatever comes next, bring it on. What’s next?’”