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Narratives of unwavering devotion at work often take a backseat to more
unrelenting life events. But when Sonia, a hardworking employee from
California, told the story of her coworker, John Bartlett, it moved a lot of
people.
Now over seventy, Bartlett worked for an unnamed firm for forty-two years,
receiving a meager minimum pay. In September 2023, his retirement—which
consisted just of a BBQ and a certificate—came to an abrupt end, however,
after years of steadfast commitment.
His departure from the firm made the rounds on TikTok, where Sonia posted
about her senior colleague's simple farewell. The original video was removed
from TikTok, but Censored Men posted it again on October 2, 2023, to X, a
social media network that was once known as Twitter. There were almost 4.6
million views on the re-upload.
Sonia expressed in the film her feelings about a noteworthy chapter in her
coworker's life coming to an end and the subtle but major effects of his
workaholic drive. Her description of Bartlett's everyday activities,
including his regular train and bus ride, was quite realistic.
The coworker emphasized how deeply Bartlett loved his profession and never
considered retiring to be an appealing option. But Sonia was not happy about
the company's meager acknowledgment, which came with no incentive.
Online viewers were similarly moved by the film and voiced worries about
Bartlett's financial security after retirement on social media networks.
Sonia and the other employees saw Bartlett at work and decided to make sure
he got the credit he deserved. On September 30, 2023, they launched his
GoFundMe.
Over 140 people have contributed to the Bartlett fundraising effort, which
has now surpassed $86,000. Sonia stated that they chose to end the gift
early since they had reached their $28,000 target. She has been contacted by
others, though, as they are still eager to assist the retiree.
"We had turned donations off after meeting the goal, but have since
received messages that more people want to have a chance to donate," Sonia
said in a post. "We've turned donations back on, and any new donations will
continue to support John's medical expenses and his retirement."
On October 1, 2023, Sonia added to her TikTok post by stating that Bartlett
had in fact gotten a "little bonus" from the company—a fact that had been
kept under wraps.
"With this information, it's up to you folks on how you want to spend your
money and gifts to John," stated Sonia. "I will still inform him about
everything and ask what would be something to keep occupied during his
retirement."
Sonia updated Bartlett on the status of the campaign in a new video that
she uploaded on October 5, 2023. Donations were coming in from as far away
as Europe and Australia. She gave the retiree access to the GoFundMe account
as well.
Videos of him getting his account may be found on my page as well as
worldwide news. Upon receiving inquiries over Bartlett's response, Sonia
stated in the comments section that "at this point he gets everything
directly to his bank."
Sonia discussed what initially inspired her to create the Bartlett video in
an interview with Newsweek.
"My only goal in making the film was to honor my diligent colleague on his
retirement. This was his reality, and I found it incredible that he devoted
so much time and energy to the work he was passionate about."
— Censored Men (@CensoredMen) October 2, 2023
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