Pages

“Why don’t you put in an application at the library downtown?” she asked. “I didn’t even know there was a library downtown,” Cassie replied. “How could you go downtown all these years and not know about the library,” her aunt Charlie said. “Where is it?” Cassie asked. “It’s on Superior across from the Old Arcade.” “I’ve never been on that side before. When I go downtown, I’m always on Prospect or Euclid where all the stores are.” “We’ll go down there and put in an application. What could it hurt?” “I guess so. I never really thought about working at a library.” It was the summer of 1979, and Cassie McCain was in her last year of high school at East Technical High School. Cassie had been running all over downtown and out to the malls, putting in applications for work. She had even dared to go into McDonald’s to ask for an application. While standing off to the side at the counter waiting to speak to a manager, she watched a manager yelling at a cashier about being too slow and not moving fast enough. It was busy as all went out; the kids were practically running. She decided right then that this was not going to be the job for her; she would end up cursing someone out and get fired. If push came to shove, McDonald’s would be her last and final option, though.