The Great Recession: the world changed overnight

I across this blog post, which led me to this NY Times article:

Like steelworkers in the 1980s recession, Mr. Blattman was part of an industry, financial services, where entire companies and divisions collapsed and disappeared. “It wasn’t anything about me personally,” he says. “The world around me just changed overnight. Like East Germany, one day it was there, next day gone.”

That comparison with East Germany I like. it is a different world now, all of a sudden, for many, many occupations and people. The end of this Great Recession, whenever that happens, might not mean much to Mr. Blattman, et al. Cruel, but real. I can only wish them well.
This comment from him says it all:

“Here’s the reality,” he continues. “I used to be somebody, I had a job. Not anymore. Everything ground to a halt. No sense of purpose. No self-esteem.”