"100th Birthday Party at Work"... Grandmother Who Drives Herself to Work Every Day with Full Makeup, Her Secret Revealed

Jockleta Wilson from Kentucky, USA
"The Secret to Longevity Is Living a Busy Life"

The story of an American grandmother who drives herself to work even at the age of 100 has been shared. She cited "living a busy life" as the secret to her health.

On the 2nd (local time), the Washington Post (WP) in the United States focused on 100-year-old grandmother Jockleta Wilson, who lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She goes to work 2 to 3 times a week at the home goods distribution chain 'Home Depot' and continues to live as a professional even at the age of 100.

Jocleta Wilson and her colleagues held a 100th birthday party at Home Depot last October. Home Depot

Wilson, the oldest employee in the store, has been working at Home Depot for four years since July 2021, well past her nineties. Introducing herself as a "morning person," she wakes up at 4 a.m., drinks coffee, carefully puts on makeup, and drives herself to Home Depot. She starts work at 6 a.m. and works until 10 a.m. Although she stands at the cash register for the entire four hours, she works without showing signs of fatigue and enjoys brief chats with customers.

Regarding working at the age of 100, Wilson said, "I work not for the paycheck but for mental and physical health," adding, "I work to get up, move, and feel important." She also said, "Talking with customers helps cognitive function and gives me emotional fulfillment," and "The people who smile at me in the store are very important to me." The bond she feels with the customers who visit the store is also a key to her health and longevity.

Wilson emphasized "moderation" as her longevity diet habit. She said, "I don't strictly restrain myself but eat without excess." She also mentioned, "I don't eat out much and cook for myself." Another secret to her longevity is "keeping the body moving." She has battled breast cancer in the past and currently fights chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but she keeps moving constantly. Having worked as a dancer in her youth, she still dances whenever she gets a chance. She recommended living with an optimistic attitude, saying, "It's much easier to think positively than negatively, and I always try to do so."

Experts emphasize that engaging in brain activities such as hobbies and work life is important for healthy longevity. Harvard Medical School in the U.S. published a study showing that working just one more year after retirement reduces the risk of death by 9 to 11%, regardless of health status. Dr. Howard Tucker, a neurologist who is still active in the field past 100 years old in the U.S., called retirement the enemy of longevity (Retirement is the Enemy of Longevity). He argued, "When you retire, your body shrinks, and you may face the possibility of ending up in a nursing home."