Happy Retirement, Dad

Today, I want to throw a shout out to my Dad as this is his last day of work. He is retired as of the end of the business, today. He has put in a little over thirty nine years at Sears and Roebuck’s. That is truly amazing. He is one of the last of a dying breed. No one works that long for one company anymore. Considering my longest streak at any job was Kmart at seven years, I feel it is truly impressive.

What also is impressive is how he worked his way up the chain. He started out on the docks at Sears when they had a plant over on 63^rd street near Midway. From there he worked his way up until he was running his own plant. Not bad for a guy with only a St. Laurence High School education. I am sure my Dad must have mixed feelings today. I’m positive, he is glad to be retired, but you can’t work somewhere thirty nine years and not have a place in your heart reserved for it. It has to be difficult to walk away from that.

All of these years at Sears could have never happened if Tootsie Roll had just called him back. As the story goes, (or as I have been told numerous times) he interviewed at the candy plant on State Road and Cicero and was told he had the job. He was told to expect a call, which never came. In the mean time he got the job at Sears and the rest is history.

So, I want to congratulate my Pop’s and I sure hope he enjoys his retirement. I know my Father, and I know it will only take a couple of weeks before he gets bored and goes out and gets another job. He is taking a bartending class, and has talked about doing that part time. Whatever he chooses, I can guarantee one thing, he will be successful at it. The man just does not know any other way then going to work, and working your ass off. In today’s workplace that makes you a star.