This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kathy Curtis, 81, who works part-time in customer service and data entry for a local water company. Curtis, who lives in rural Northern California, said the extra income is necessary for making ends meet each month. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. I don't imagine that you can call what I've done a career because I've done so many things just to survive. When I graduated from high school, women couldn't do everything I