Meet Bob and Mary. Living together and coworkers at Big Burger Haus. Bob is 78 while Mary recently celebrated her 85th birthday. Happy birthday Mary.
Neither Bob nor Mary ever thought they would be shuffling fries and filling sodas at this point of their lives, but here we are in radically changed times.
Bob returned to work because his rent had increased from $700 to $1350 per month. Mary was living in a relative’s basement, existing on a fixed income of $600 and the grace of others for food and extras.
Mary met Bob for the first time when she started at Big Burger Haus. She’s a cutie for sure and can multi task like crazy. Mary was a percussionist if you can believe, so her skill of performing a different task and tempo in each hand is amazing, and while not as smooth and precise as before, she still rocks it.
Bob, or Rusty by those closest to him, was a bridge painter. He was the team leader of several men responsible for the repainting and upkeep of the Golden Gate Bridge. A job requiring steady nerves and a love for outdoor, physical work. The skill he brings to Burger Haus would be his calm demeanor. He leads the afternoon drive-through shift, a chaotic flurry of three drive lanes of consumers ordering food, drinks, and snacks.
Bob was drawn to Mary because who wouldn’t be, when she spoke, your heart smiled. He was also dazzled by her rhythm. When Mary mentioned her living situation, it seemed like the universe brought them together at Big Burger. It’s 2035 and the world is not the same place it was decades ago. The average retirement age has now been pushed to age 90 and because of a deteriorating social security system, funds are now capped with the average benefit hovering around $400. Bob immediately offered to roommate with Mary. Living together has brought out the best in each of them and though it remains a financial challenge with the prospect of working until death, this couple has found a way to survive with dignity, love, and companionship.
Here they are today, Mary with a smile as bright as the moon, and Bob sporting a subdued grin, are a team like no other. While he is calmly orchestrating the drive through lanes, she is whipping her hands into action filling orders at a cadence you wouldn’t believe. Mary continually surpasses the hourly metrics for order filling and receives a bonus of $25 per quarter.
She is saving the money. Her plan is to take Bob on vacation to the Golden Gate Bridge so he can share his stories of hanging from the underside of that incredible structure, while holding Mary close to his heart.
They’re hoping to retire before Mary celebrates her 91st birthday.