Herman van Soest (83) had to stop as a professional soldier at the age of 55, but he thought that was much too early. So when he had been behind the Geraniums for a few years, he decided to get back to work at the age of 58. He did that at a supermarket in Eindhoven. Now, 25 years later, he will retire for the second time.
The farewell party for Herman was already deployed more than three weeks before his second pension. He was surprised by his colleagues for his twenty -five year anniversary. After his service, all colleagues, his wife and child were suddenly waiting for him in the canteen. “There was also a very large whipped cream cake with my face on it,” he says proudly. And the vegetable department hung a photo of him with balloons.
Vegetable department
But it didn’t matter much or Herman had never worked at the supermarket. “I saw a vacancy in the newspaper and decided to respond, but strangely enough there was no place,” he remembers.
“A few months later I was called and asked if I wanted to come and work at the vegetable department.” And so it happened: Herman went to work four half days a week. A quarter of a century later he still does that from six to nine in the morning.
Discipline
The fanatic employee does not have to think long about why he still works. “You have to have discipline and have fun in your work, I have that with both customers and colleagues. They make it fun.” Because of his work, he also keeps moving and he stays among people.
And he also notes the differences between the young and old. “Not all youth is just as fanatic. It would be good if the youth went into military service,” he says laughing.
Second pension
Although Herman has had a lot of fun at the supermarket in recent years, it will soon be time for him to say goodbye to the store. “I have said several times: this is the last year, but now it is really true. Although I still think: maybe I will stop too early.”
On May 16, Herman works his last morning shift and then he will really enjoy his second pension.