A tip of the hat and congratulations to this gentleman on his retirement, but this is the part of his (and the American) story that is no more:
> ... he took the job at 19 because his mother knew the hotel’s general manager and they needed a doorman for the summer.
> He’s up for spending more time with his wife, Cindy, a hospitality executive whom he chatted up at a cable car stop about a quarter-century ago, and their four grandchildren.
... by which I mean: a comfortable retirement at 62, grandchildren either nearby or he can afford to visit them, all for an unskilled laborer.
Even if we can't or shouldn't go back to that time (which had plenty of other problems), it's notable to mark the passing of that era of opportunity that was available - albeit only to a subset of people - and think about where we place the bar today for the opportunity to establish a comfortable but modest life.
Perhaps. We'll never know in his particular instance how much of his ability to retire comfortably is based on his own employment vs his spouse's. All we know is that she is a "hospitality executive", whatever that means.
More generally, the time when an unskilled laborer could comfortably retire early - which did exist - has passed. It is worth reflecting on that time for both its positives and negatives.
When possible, I try and stay at hotels with defined doormen (as opposed to valets) and make an effort to build a little rapport with them. They typically have been around a while a know the town. That way I can ask questions like "what's the restaurant you go to, not a tourist trap", "where's the best dive bar in this town" or "where's a nice place to take a date" and have high probability of getting a good answer. Good doorman have sent me on may a great adventure over the years.
The article makes no mention of anyone hoping to fill his shoes, which is even more heartbreaking. The tradition of kindness and personal connection is already waning. Even a 'corporate' ambassador of goodwill is better than one less person to gift the world a genuine smile.
> Sweeney is not the hotel’s only Beefeater doorman, although he is the best-known and the longest-lasting doorman in a city with about 100 of them. The San Francisco Chronicle toasted his 40th year on the job on its front page; he has his own plaque on the sidewalk in front of the hotel.
I think there is more than one Beefeater doorman at the Sir Francis Drake based on that quote.
> He’s up for spending more time with his wife, Cindy, a hospitality executive whom he chatted up at a cable car stop about a quarter-century ago, and their four grandchildren.
Either he had a previous marriage that's unmentioned or that's an extremely aggressive timeline.
> ... he took the job at 19 because his mother knew the hotel’s general manager and they needed a doorman for the summer.
> He’s up for spending more time with his wife, Cindy, a hospitality executive whom he chatted up at a cable car stop about a quarter-century ago, and their four grandchildren.
... by which I mean: a comfortable retirement at 62, grandchildren either nearby or he can afford to visit them, all for an unskilled laborer.
Even if we can't or shouldn't go back to that time (which had plenty of other problems), it's notable to mark the passing of that era of opportunity that was available - albeit only to a subset of people - and think about where we place the bar today for the opportunity to establish a comfortable but modest life.