Wow, am I relieved to see you. Wasn’t sure anyone would find me at my new address (or recognize me from NPR circa 1979). And having come out today as a casuality of the recession and one of the 64 folks laid off from NPR, I frankly wasn’t sure how you’d react to my, um, change in status.

Oh yeah, sure, everybody says “You’re not what you do!” But people who’ve been laid off are just a tad less, shall we say, inspiring. A little low on the joie de vivre meter. Not so much fun under the mistletoe. Would you buy self-involved?

But you’re here! Thank you, Jesus! Oh wait, maybe I shouldn’t sound so grateful. I might seem pitiable. Or God forbid, needy. Never mind that I’m no longer able to sleep (it’s true) and am drinking excessive amounts of champagne (actually Oregon Argyle Sparkling Wine). I’m fine, honest.

Stability is overrated, anyway.

Ketzel Uprooted: Can I Get You A Moxie?.

The economic downturn keeps rolling thru the world…Does anyone really know how many folks are now unemployed? I am finding that a lot of the folks you are used to hearing…seeing….reading are finding themselves downsized. the difference between now and past economic downturns is that this time you can still keep up with the folks turned out. You can hera the other, non-official side of the story right from the “victims” mouth, so to speak.

It seems to me that a lot of what we are seeing is feeding upon itself…One round of layoffs feeding another…feeding another. It’s a whole lot like watching the mortgage meltdown move through a neighborhood. First a few foreclosures. Then there are a few more causing a general downward trend in home values. This causes another round of foreclosures, and lower values…more foreclosures, and lower values. It becomes an unending nightmare for the community. This same thing is playing out in our workplaces…And it doesn’t look like we will be seeing an end in the foreseeable future.

By the way, if like me you followed Ketzel on NPR, go check out her new blog…who knows, we could all be redefining who we are in the next couple of years…I know I am, how about you?

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