Forty Years of Service

I came across an individual who worked in a transport company as an administrative clerk for over forty years. The amount of experience he had gathered in his career was tremendous. Even his bosses consulted him for key decisions. His experience was built little by little over several years, and so was his credibility. But he was humble of his achievements. He was always ready to learn, even if it was from his subordinates or juniors.

It was only towards his retirement that in a conversation he mentioned that his experience was only a number and that he is still learning. He recollected his early days in the company, stating that even that was his experience and his current time at work, too is one. His theory was that each experience teaches us something only if we live with that. When we live with an assumption of knowing something already, the opportunity to learn something new is lost.

The man has retired many years ago. He is old now. But he still holds the same level of curiosity. There's a certain degree of slowness when it comes to experience, and it can only be felt by living each moment. The experience for that old man is in the right now and not in how much over the years he has gathered and accumulated.

The experience for that old man is in the right now and not in how much over the years he has gathered and accumulated.