Americans have been working ever since the industrial revolution and even before that. But more importantly, as time went on the world and the men of the workforce had to make room for the women who were tired of being homemakers and wanted to “bring home the bacon.” One of the women that I had the chance to interview about her life with work and the possibility of retirement in the future was anything but surprising. Not only that, but there was so much more than meets the eye.

As she grew up with teaching her children the ways of the world along with the academics, she began to explain her work experiences from the fast food retail which entails serving people by creating their favorite fast food sandwiches and fries, along with some restaurants like burger king who likes to serve specialty twist soft serve creations that are merely a dollar and some change.

After she graduated from Beaver Falls Area High School, she began looking for work wherever she was able to get applications in East Liverpool where she continued growing up in. This small town is anything but an ideal place to live in. But for her it’s home.

From KFC, to Burger King, two places where she put in her application and they were accepted after interview. She began working and doing the various duties.

"Once we moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio, I stayed home and the kids were younger, I didn’t work outside the home.”

One of the many disadvantages of for older beings that are working in customer service is that only some of the corporations will offer private pensions,401k’s, or no benefits at all. I believe the fast food restaurant only offers the 401k.

If there was hope of getting a private pension or any pension of some sort, she would have to change her career field. After years at working in one part of customer service, Melonie moved on to other part, being a meat handler at Bearsferds.

This transition could be considered a reorientation stage, as she is changing work environments from people wanting their food hot to wanted their food raw. She would weigh the meat and even provide the customers with cheeses if they so choose to come in and look among the selections. Not only that, she was given the opportunity to work behind a desk at a car dealership before she was married and had children.

From their she took a career at Kmart shopping center were after learning the products and systems she was given the position of front in lead where she would help new hires and others who aren’t sure how to do something with the register or the returns.

She spent four years there before she made the switch to another place of work.

There was another switch in careers after spending over 5 years at the small town produce market. She wanted something different from the normal waiting on customers and collecting their money. A friend of hers who worked at Home Savings bank mentioned to her that they were taking applications and that she should fill it out. Without hesitation, she filled it out and days later she was called in for an interview and hired on the spot.

Besides previous customer service experience, there was only training that was needed was the process of drive thru, access accounting formation and greeting customers of all ages with a smile.

Despite interacting with people which can be one of the hardest thing or things to deal with besides terminal disease. At her age she never stops smiling. Nothing seems to bring her down when she is around others.

Right now, she is 55 and is still working at the Home Savings. She did switch locations from the Glenmoor one to the Calcutta office when it closed from 10 years to wait until she can be considered for obtaining social security. She is in the pre-retirement stage with no real plan on what to do.

Based on this part of the interview, she went into some detail on how she would retire when she reaches the age but based on the economy standards and the cost of gas lowering and rising at the same time depending on elections and oil field production.

With her husband being older then her, she said how she wouldn’t mind retiring after he does if the finances won’t be in jeopardy as the years go by.

“I haven’t really thought about it, I’ll just keep going till I don’t want to do it anymore.”

With her good health and attitude in the workforce, there is no age discrimination among her. She is always in a good mood and puts her customers and family first with their needs. That is one of the main reasons Americans are still working. They are healthier than most who worked twenty or even thirty years ago.

Now that most of the mills are closed down in East Liverpool, there aren’t many labor intensive jobs left. With the interviewee being a bank teller, the only labor she would have is counting money and punching in account numbers into the date bases which at worse would cause carpal tunnel.

As of right now she doesn’t have any plans to retire. She feels that she can carry on a while longer. When she retires, she would like to travel with her husband wherever they can get to and spend more time with her family and more importantly her children before they go on their way to move out and start their own family.