At 100 years old, JoCleta Wilson still isn’t ready to retire, but she is ready to share her tips for a long life. Wilson works two mornings a week, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., at a Home Depot in Louisville, Kentucky, making her the company’s oldest employee. The centenarian applied for the job to socialize and engage with people after retirement bored her. “If you’re not working, you lose your art of conversing,” she said. Wilson retired three times — each time was 10 years — and she said she got so sick of herself she couldn’t stand it. She celebrated her most recent milestone birthday in October with a lively shindig at her home, featuring two piano players and 80 guests. Wilson lives independently in her own home, driving herself to work and grocery shopping, not to mention cooking for herself. She hires help for cleaning and yard work, explaining that she could do it but doesn’t want to. As for whether she feels her age, Wilson says, “I feel like I’m 39 heading into 40. That’s how it feels.” Wilson was a professional dancer for much of her life, starting as a child and later performing with the June Taylor Dancers doing rhythm tap. For 37 years, she owned and taught at the Louisville Dance Academy and still dances daily for exercise. As for her diet, Wilson says she allows herself the occasional sweet treat, but eats mostly lean proteins and avoids bacon, cheese and white flour. She says the key to longevity is “Don’t sweat the small stuff, don’t worry, don’t let everything make you angry.”
