A man’s story about his former manager and her old Santro has prompted people to rethink how they judge someone’s financial situation. What once seemed like an ordinary old car turned out to be part of a much bigger story about saving, investing and planning for the future.
Abhishek Singh, who was 22 when he worked with the manager at his first company, recently recalled how he and his colleagues used to joke about her ageing car. Years later, learning that she had retired at 46 made him look at those memories very differently.
“She always used to come to the office in a grey Santro, probably 12-plus years old, and it had a weird suspension issue. The car made a weird whizzing sound when starting off,” he wrote.
Singh said that around 5 pm almost every day, his colleagues would hear the sound as his manager left the office and would joke about her car.
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“People used to laugh around saying, ‘We don't know when she will retire this scrapyard junk,’” he recalled.
{{/usCountry}}“People used to laugh around saying, ‘We don't know when she will retire this scrapyard junk,’” he recalled.
{{/usCountry}}Years later, Singh learnt that his former manager had retired at the age of 46. That changed the way he looked at the situation.
“Looks like the joke was on all of us as she was saving and investing for her family's future, while we all were calling her a miser,” he wrote.
Singh said the experience taught him not to judge people based on the cars they drive.
“Since then, personally, I have decided never to judge anyone because of the car they drive, as that's what people choose to show the outside world,” he added.
Take a look:
Social media users share money lessons
The post also led to people sharing their own experiences with older cars and financial planning.
One user wrote, “I have been running a car for 16 years. I am 50. Gave it for servicing. Compressor issue, apparently.”
Another user had a different view, saying, “She could have retired when she was 48 and had a good life meanwhile by buying a slightly better car.”
Someone else simply wrote, “I am on the track.”
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Another comment quoted the popular Hindi saying, “Kuch toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)