CLEVELAND — Fixing screens is an art. It takes a steady hand, and in Jim Johnston’s case, it takes 81 years of experience.
Johnston said this isn’t a job for him.
“I just need something to do,” he said.
He’s a “fixer” in the back of Cedar Center Hardware.
“I’ll work two days, three days a week,” he said. “It works out just fine. Sometimes if they’re busy, I’ll work four. I have worked five. That doesn’t work out real well for me.”
Owner Lenny Goldfarb said he looks for people who have retired, for their experience and the flexibility.
“In a lot of cases retirees are much more reliable,” Goldfarb said. “Their schedule is more open to changes in schedule in what days we need them.”
He said sometimes a person who’s lived in a home and worked on it for decades will be the best person to ask for advice, but they don’t have to be Johnson’s age.
“We’ll take somebody at 65 too,” Goldfarb said.
Johnston said this gig also isn’t about the money. It’s about helping people and staying on his feet.
He has a motto he lives by after all these years.
“You’re never too old,” Johnston said.
