A woman in Tahlequah has worked in the same job for the city for 45 years.

She’s a service technician. It may not sound very glamorous, but she loves the work.

If you find something you love, you will never have to work a day in your life.

Cindy Land found satisfaction installing and reading water meters for the Tahlequah Public Works Authority.

“After seeing the meter readings, I thought I’d like to just be active and go for a walk. And I’m quite hyper, I never like to sit still, so it appealed to me,” she said.

It fascinated Cindy for 45 years.

“It was August 15, 1979,” she said. “I was the first worker the Tahlequah Public Works Department ever hired.”

And by being the first, Cindy had to prove herself.

“Some days I had to give more than 100 percent because as a woman you didn’t want to say that you couldn’t read the meters, that you couldn’t get past the dog or that the weather was bothering you. You just figured out how to do it, and made it as simple as possible.”

Cindy says her career has changed since she started – the business has gotten bigger and technology has made it easier – but it’s the things that have stayed the same that have kept her going.

“It’s the way people feel for each other when they work here. I don’t know why, but when I was here for six months or a year, it was always like being part of the family,” she said.

Mike Doublehead has been Cindy’s boss for 12 years. He says Cindy is a great example of support and work ethic for the younger generation.

“Our people do hard work every day, but Cindy is very dedicated and always comes to work with a positive attitude,” he said.

“Just try to be present every day and be helpful. Don’t shirk your responsibilities and do what you have to do,” Cindy said.

In the next few months she will be 70 years old and has decided to retire.

But until then, she will continue to give her all to the job she loves.