A new start after 60: I became a grocer – and feel stronger physically and quieter mentally

Robert Solomon loves the early mornings, picking out the apples, tending to the broccoli and fussing up the dandelion greens.

At 71, he says it’s the best job he’s had When Robert Solomon’s working hours were cut during the pandemic – he did building management and tech support for a nonprofit organisation – he got an extra job at a food cooperative, helping to stock the store.

It was, he says, the most ordinary job, but that’s what made it special.

That job ended with the pandemic, but in 2022 he left the nonprofit and hunted for grocery positions.

Now, at 71, he is assistant buyer in produce (ie fruit and vegetables) at an independent market in New York.

“I love the opportunity to do physical, creative work with my body, hands and mind,” he says.

“I’m working harder than I have since my 30s, and I love it.” Tell us: has your life taken a new direction after the age of 60? Continue reading...