Three times I've been downsized. Three times I have luckily managed to land on my feet. Most of my friends have gone through this experience, two more of them today. It's almost a rite of passage now. You can pretty much expect to lose at least one job for no good reason before you retire of your own volition. People say things like, "When God closes a door, he opens a window." And, "It's a blessing, you were so unhappy." They mean well and by and large they are right. This fact does not make it suck any less. While my last involuntary go-round in '03 was a relief, you still mourn. You leave behind friends, income and part of your identity. Change is frightening, staring into the unknown, even more so. Then, after a while, things settle and you move on. Hopefully to a better existence.
I hope my friends don't lose heart. On second thought, I know they won't. Here come those feet, in for a landing.
