Long time employee Bennett Law is retiring after 39 years with National Life. We couldn’t let him leave without a few good stories about his time with the company.
Take a gander below at what Bennett describes as some of the more memorable moments of his career. And make sure you wish him farewell before his last day on June 30th!
Q. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself.
A.
- I married late in life, but I got it right.
- At one time – completely without irony – I was known as “the Butcher of Bethel” for my hog-killing skills. The backstory is that I bought piglets to put in my barn when I moved to Bethel 34 years ago. The very first question my new neighbors asked me (the flatlander) was “when you gonna kill them pigs?” It was a real wake-up call for me. Sometimes you have to step up in unexpected ways.
- One of the most valuable epiphanies of my life was that no one was going to find me sitting on my couch in Bethel. Also, that men like pie. This one revelation motivated a lifetime of perfecting my pie baking skills.
Q. What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation?
A. Hundreds of things rush to mind, but if you want an authoritative review the topic would be The Discography of Barbra Streisand. As tragic as this may sound, yes, I am that kind of gay.
Q. What brought you to National Life?
A. After graduating from the University of Vermont I headed to the mid-west to get my master’s degree from the University of Nebraska. I ultimately interviewed for positions as an Actuarial Student at three companies in Massachusetts and at National Life. My thinking in coming to National Life was that Vermont was close enough (but not too close) to my family in Massachusetts, and most of my friends at that time had some connection to Vermont. I learned at my interview that I had passed my most recent Actuarial Exam and was so deliriously happy that I cannot remember anything about my interviews during the first half of my day on campus. I also recall that I was taken to dinner at The Steak House on the Barre-Montpelier Road the evening before my interviews and I consciously restrained myself so I wouldn’t eat like an animal (aka college student). It turned out that the couple that took me to dinner had recently had a baby and they were accustomed to wolfing down their own food so they could attend to the baby. We all got a laugh out of them sitting at the table watching me eat like a gentleman!
Q. You’ve been with National Life for almost 40 years! Can you describe what roles you have held during your time here and how work has changed over that time?
A. I joined National Life as part of the Actuarial team, but after achieving my Fellowship in the Society of Actuaries I transitioned to lead the Policy Forms team. I did that for 17 years before I advocated for a new assignment, which led to positions in General Services (the Mail Center, Print Shop, Records Management, and Forms Management), Field Services (Licensing & Contracting, Commissions, and the Agent Call Center), Transformation (the Agent Portal), Digital Marketing, and ultimately in NLIT. There is some irony to completing my career in IT, for when I joined the Company we did not have computers on our desktops, nor did we have e-mail. I remember having to keep track of when I had meetings on a paper monthly planner that doubled as a blotter on my desk.
Q. We did some digging and noticed that you sported a very stylish moustache during your first years with National Life (mid-1980s). On a scale of 1 – 10, how likely is it to make a comeback during your retirement?
A. You folks are cruel! Yes, I sported a classic ‘stache for years (and I point out that I was hired with it on my face). Let’s just agree that I was not Tom Selleck.
Q follow-up. So you’re saying there’s a chance. Excellent!
Q. Speaking of stylish moustaches, the 80’s was not a particularly high time for fashion (or was it?). What’s one trend or fad from the 80’s that you hope doesn’t (or does) make a comeback?
A. I trust this wasn’t a fad, but the thing I miss most from the 1980’s was Nebraska’s dominance as a national power in college football. It never mattered to me what the players wore (red, white, or their classic black shirts). The Huskers will rise again! In the office, after wearing clownishly wide ties in the ‘70s we flipped to ridiculously skinny ties in the ‘80s, neither of which should ever see the light of day again. I also remember wearing pegged pants to the office in the early ‘80s. It was hard to get my feet through them!
Q. What is your most vivid memory of working here?
A. The day that will always stand out for me was during the period I worked with the Mail Center team. I got an urgent call asking me to head down to the loading dock where we received mail. A package had arrived – addressed to National Life – packed full of handguns and bags of cocaine. It turned out to be evidence for a drug trafficking trial in Philadelphia that had somehow been mis-addressed to one of our lockboxes and then re-directed to the Home Office. You can bet we had a Federal Marshall on the phone as fast as we could dial!
Q. What will you miss most about working here?
A. Having someone make my lunch for me every day, to my specifications. Why is a sandwich that someone else makes for you always better than one you make for yourself? I struggled with this during the pandemic, and it causes me concern for my future!
Q. How do you plan to spend your retirement?
A. I have a well-developed Retirement Playlist that extends for pages. The only thing I have absolutely committed myself to is showering and shaving during the first week (so my husband doesn’t lose hope). He shared with me that no one ever asks how he will be spending my retirement. He openly offered that his plan is to get a job and get out of the house. If I had known this I might have retired years ago!
Q. What’s your parting advice for your National Life colleagues?
A. I think my path through National Life underscores that it matters less what you do and much, much more who you get to do it with. My devotion to National Life is tied up in my fondness for a number of people I got to work with. I am retiring to spend more time with people I love, but it comes at the cost of spending far less time with people that I like very, very much. Find your people, and invest in that “best friend at work.” They make all the difference.
Q. What do you want the people to know? Tell us anything.
A. During my tenure at National Life I reported to 18 different managers. The best boss I ever had was at National Life as, conversely, was the worst. The truth is that you have to adapt to each new reporting relationship, and some go better than others. I’m proud that I made it through (if only barely a time or two!). In the bigger picture, the Company meant more to me than any isolated experience I had there. I have always loved National Life and the home I had here. Thank you to everyone who was part of my experience and for setting a place for me at the table for nearly 40 years. I will never forget it.