Recession? What recession?

I got an email from a friend who asked me if I had been affected by the recession. This is what I told him...

beyond getting recessioned from my job; currently working part-time at a salary that's not even a quarter of what I used to earn; loosing quite a bit of my investments; my dad (former corporate lawyer for an insurance company...oh did I tell you about the FBI, my dad, and the ponzi scheme he ratted out to the
Kansas attorney general? which is all completely recession related...and there is murder in that story*) and my brother (a structural engineer) both losing their jobs because of the recession...this financial crisis has not hit home at all. Bad
economy? What bad economy?

But today, as I did homework (i.e. read novels), I realized that with all of this sunshine and reading makes me want to be unemployed forever. I have been getting a lot of career advice from people. Here are some of my favorites:

"Make a lot of money so I can save it." (Yep, from the Dave himself)
"Just do what you like." (I do, but so far no one has handed me wads of cash for sitting in my underpants and reading novels.)

Remember back when I said, I'd do what it takes? Well, several job applications later, even the local coffee shop has eschewed the Lyz in favor of more pubescent employees. So, I am keeping on keeping on, or whatever mindless circular logic you'd like to use: it is what it is. I hate that one. I am not writing to whine though. I am writing to say that lately I feel like some whistling hobo who appears in some 40s movie to say, "as long as I got a book in my hand and the sun on my face, I'm happy."

I've had these moments in my life before. Of intense calm and stillness. And while I can be frustrated by them, I find them soothing. I told Dave last night, that I wondered what would come next. So far in our 3.5 years we've navigated, death, loss, near death, crazy Korean grandmasters, floods, interactions and situations that probed painful tapestries of secrets, and mini-dachshunds that are out for blood. "How do you know something will happen next?" Dave said, "can't we just sit on the couch and watch House forever?" "Nice thought, but it's life," I said. I just hope whatever comes next brings chicken nuggets, because right now, I can't afford to buy them."


*Remind me to tell you that one.