Wow

By the time I lost my job in January, I was welcomed with open arms by a group of friends who had already lost their jobs. It was an awful feeling to walk in to work on a Monday morning after a long winter holiday and be told the terrible, yet not surprising news. A good friend took me out to lunch the next day because he had also lost his job and we talked about our jobless situation over Greek food and then watched a murder mystery movie during the middle of the day, just because we could. I'll never forget the strange feeling of watching a movie during the day while everyone else was at work.


Amongst our friends, what joy there was when someone found a job but also a continued support for those of us who were still looking. A few of us even joked about forming the "Bored Group" for those unemployed souls who were tired of coffee shops, resume workshops and endless, unfruitful job searches.

Alan posted this website on his twitter this morning and the minute I saw it, all of those initial feelings came rushing back and I felt sick looking at the statistics. Please check it out. While watching, I was focused on the Northeast area and realized that I lived to see both sides of green and red while living in NYC. Perhaps I am still overwhelmed by the map and realize that these huge red circles aren't just shapes but represent so many people who are struggling. I just hope that those without jobs have the support of family and friends. How thankful I am for community during those first few months!