Here’s a little something that’s sure to cheer you up during stressful times: 95-year-old Mr. G has been organizing his local 7-Eleven shelves for thirty years. And, believe it or not, in return, all he asks for is free coffee, bananas, and lovely interactions with customers.
95-Year-Old Working At 7-Eleven
Many of you might say that age is nothing but a number, and Orin Gilbert Jr of Fishersville, Virginia wholeheartedly agrees. Incredibly, this 95-year-old has been waking up at 5 a.m for the past three decades to help organize the shelves of his local 7-Eleven. This would be fine if Gilbert worked there, but that’s the point: Mr. Gilbert doesn’t actually work there!
The man, also known as Mr. G, is beloved amongst the 7-Eleven employees, as well as customers. With a permanent smile and a breezy attitude, the store shoppers love asking for help and generally chit-chatting about life. In return for his work, Mr. G only asks for a few things in addition to conversation, free bananas, and coffee.
“Well, I’ll Start Doing It!”
The 95-year-old unofficial store employee is just the kind of man who will pitch in when help is needed. “They got behind a couple times, so I said, ‘Well, I’ll start doing it, just helped out where I could,” Gilbert shared in an interview.
And so, the retiree has been coming around every morning, six times a week (he goes to church on Sunday) to organize the 7-Eleven store shelves. From water bottles to soda cans and everything in between, he does it all! And when those are done, you can be assured Gilbert’s continues taking his job seriously. Afterward, he makes the coffee and helps assemble pizza boxes – all while enjoying his free fresh coffee.
But it’s not just the physical work and the coffee that he’s in for. He loves the every day interactions with regular customers and new ones. Mr. G’s wife passed away a few years ago, and he gets a lot of joy from the constant interactions, conversation, and friendships that evolve in the store. “It’s just seeing the people and talking to them. I know a lot about them and what’s going on in their families.”
“He Is Family”
Mr. G feels close to the 7-Eleven regulars; he enjoys listening to them, as well as sharing his own life advice from his almost ten decades of experiences. “You learn a lot about people who come in here, like what their kids have accomplished,” Mr. G said.
The store’s owner, Tim Swortzel, said Mr. G is a “one of the family,” just like his paid workers. “He’s just a unique, interesting person.” One of the regular customers, Rick Sizemore, shared his experience with the pensioner, “I love this guy. He is what we all hope to become. He’s a well-respected community leader.”
Mr. G, in the meanwhile, enjoys the little things in life and hopes to reach the age of 100 with the same energy and happiness he has now.
Sources: MSN, People Magazine.