A 101-year-old woman from New Jersey, who still maintains a regular work schedule, has provided a straightforward reason for not choosing retirement.
Reaching the age of 100 is a remarkable achievement, and many might consider it a perfect point to relax and enjoy their golden years. However, this isn’t the case for Ann Angeletti.
Born in the early 1920s, Ann left school to assist with her family’s grocery store operation in Brooklyn. At that time, there were no modern distractions like TikTok or Twitch.
Long before the advent of refrigerators, Ann’s father supplemented the family’s income by delivering ice using a horse-drawn cart.
Having witnessed and experienced numerous changes over the decades, Ann still isn’t ready to slow down.
Ann is currently a jeweler in New Jersey’s Diamond District, running her business, Curiosity Jewelry in Cresskill, alongside her daughter and granddaughter. She works six days a week and explained to ABC7 why retirement isn’t in her plans.
“If I retire, I would die, so I cannot stay home,” Ann remarked.
Clearly, it’s a risk she’s not willing to take.
Throughout her life, Ann has rarely paused, having worked at the Navy Yard during World War II while her husband was in service, and later as a waitress.
She launched her own business after noticing a jewelry store available for rent and contacting the owner.
She remembered, “[I] asked him, how much is the rent, and he said $85 a month in 1964,” a figure that’s quite modest compared to today’s coffee expenditures.
Ann’s dedication to her work extends beyond financial gain, as she ensures her customers are well-treated, even if they don’t make a purchase.
“I don’t care if my customers don’t buy. They come in, we have coffee,” she said. A customer even called her an ‘inspiration’.
Ann attributes her success to self-care, advising: “[You] must get up, you must shower, you must eat, you must take care of yourself. You must exercise. If you don’t like what you’re doing, then change.”
She concluded, “Make the most of that day. I’m happy working every day.”