Met a 76-year-old founder who quit his job at 38 to start his own company

It all happened when I decided to leave my work zone. As usual, I went to my regular coffee shop, but it was crowded because of the weekend.

The stranger

The men and ladies were all sipping coffee, and there were no empty chairs to sit on. However, I noticed a 76-year-old man sitting alone on a chair, wearing a blue sea-colored shirt tucked in brown pants and reading the newspaper with rounded oval-shaped glasses.

He looked so stiff, and I thought maybe he was annoyed by the chit-chatting from the crowd because there were no empty chairs next to him. But I asked him if I could join him. He looked straight up while closing the last page and accepted my request while nodding his head with a duchenne smile. Then he slowly folded his new paper and took a sip from his coffee.

I know how much elderly people want to talk. They often need someone to listen to their stories. They need someone to be interested in the 90s narrative. I know this because I have a grandmother who always wants to talk about her past: the songs she sang during those times, the hard life she went through after her husband's death.

Sometimes, she even talks to herself when she can't find anyone at home.

So I was curious to hear about his story. I started off with a funny line about "the atmosphere in here" to break the ice. He appreciated my joke, and we started talking. Or rather, I started asking questions and let him do the talking. The conversation was engaging, and we kept talking while the coffee was refilled.

The old man's business story

He quit his job at the age of 38, with two young kids and a stay-at-home wife, to start his own company. Even though it was a near-perfect job, many people thought he had lost his mind.

However, he had the full support of his wife, and she was the one who encouraged him to take the leap. Although it's a lot of work and can be challenging, it is also very rewarding.

He said that balancing work and life is not always easy. There will be failures, and it may age you a bit faster than a regular 9–5 job. Regardless, he would do it all over again if given the chance.

He is now the oldest owner and starting to give a lot of his responsibilities to other folks in the company. And with a smile, he said that the best feeling is seeing the younger generation take over and run things.

The wind was blowing, and the atmosphere was full of chatter. Amidst all the noise, our conversation echoed silently in the air.

After leaving that table these words from him reminded my mind:

We have a responsibility to remember the bad times, even if it hurts us to admit they happened. We have a responsibility to remember the good times, even if it hurts to admit they're gone. And in times where you don't know where to go, you need only remember how you got to where you are now.

Source of the post: Cafe, me, and a 76-year-old stranger