It took everything to not cry looking at all those photos. We're really fucked, aren't we?

Some of those were really great photos. I don't think we are fucked though. This is now the third recession I have been though. Each time it feels like life will never be normal again but things -will- change.

My first recession, when I was just starting out, so completely reshaped my life that I can't conceive what it would have been like otherwise. I love that people are taking control of their loves and documenting things in such an artistic way. At least digital photography is cheap!

ha, even with preview I screw up. loves=lives. Freudian slip?

Nice perspective, saucysault.

I've been wishing that we sort of had better guidelines for living within recessionary times. Given that they're sort of inevitable - where's the template? The Emergency Backup Plan? You'd think we could just be like "Oh yeah, recession. Let's shift into recession mode now and change up what we do for a couple years as we work toward the recovery."

Well, personally, the recession of the early eighties hit my family hard when I was a child and then it was repeated for my early job search in the early nineties recession (which was much more devastating for Canada then it was for the US). Pretty much every decision I make that finances would impact (choice of job, where to live, whether to have children) were based on the idea that once again a recession would hit me. I've never been into materialistic/consumer things and have always chosen safe, lower-paying jobs over risky "might be laid-off" ones. My friends and neighbours have a similar mindset so there is no "keeping up with the jones". I also avoid most media, it is weird listening to the CBC and it will sometimes have American news on and there is just a sudden strident, panicked tone to the Americans. Living with that would be incredibly stressful to me. I feel so bad for all those that are struggling right now though. This too will pass, but while you are in it if feels like you will never have a job (or a life) again. I think a lot of people burned by this recession will emerge phonenix-like, in a different, better form then what they had imagined a couple of years ago.