I am fine. My life is plugging along and stable enough. But I went to dinner and saw some Berkeley friends that asked "How are you?" Usually I say, "Things are great :)", but today I responded, "mehlaa I'm...ok.... :("
Recession. 70,000 jobs cut on Monday, bringing the grand total to... x00,000. Every industry is touched by this, and when Helen sent me this link, I couldn't help but think how the world is falling apart. Though it's my favorite, I know that it's just magazine (and let's be honest, how is a magazine going to survive when they lower their subscription rate to $10/year given inflation and increased postage!). domino was a very good, very successful magazine and to see it being shut down is a sign of the rest. How did a real estate bubble pop into a credit crisis that shocked the auto, retail, high tech, airline, home furnishing, you name it industries, that spiraled into the rest of the world's economic decline. I am hoping that this $819 billion stimulus package that Obama just got passed will revitalize this mess.
That's the macro-level, here's the micro:
One friend lost her perfect dream job that she was great at and is now filing unemployment papers and freaking out.
Another friend got mono while recovering from surgery and lost a fantastic career opportunity, and a quarter that delays graduation.
A friend is sick of her job and is in limbo wanting things to just end so she can feel like she's finally starting her life.
Friends are figuring out their lives and what to do moving forward. 23 is very young, but in this state of the nation (and the world), the opportunities are limited.
One friend suffered the loss of her grandmother and an unexpected breakup of a 4-year relationship in one blow.
Another friend just told me today that she's still looking for a job because the architecture firm she was going to join is in a hiring freeze.
Two friends among 100 that I worked with came to work one day and by 9:30am, had lost their job and gone home.
Since 2009 began, I have been reminding friends that sometimes, it's ok to not be ok.
Everyone is surviving. Everyone is plugging through. But friends, I am sharing in your pain. Though for me, life goes on as usual in this little Pac Heights/Google/IKEA bubble of mine, I see what is going on around me. I am sad because you are sad.
And you know what, though these times are miserable, they are not devastating. Life is not over, it is just more complicated. Things suck, but really, we will all be ok.
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