What Is There To Be Happy About?

Layoffs.

No bonuses this year. Raise? Not for several years.

Retirement fund down 60%.

To quote John McCain, 'the news is grim, my friends". The economy has tanked, and the world is suffering right along with us. Me? I've been working 14-hour days on stressful projects with very little recognition. Every bone in my body hurts, and it's hard to get out of bed most days.

So what's right with the world? Glad you asked!

This morning, I was gently awakened by my cat Sam when he touched my cheek at first light. Once he had my attention, he snuggled next to me, with his cheek pressed against mine, and his paw on my nose. On cue, Grace curled into a ball on my pillow, neatly pressed into the space between my neck and my head. Blue Bell, the chatty cat, stood on my chest and tried to wake me up, and when he failed, sat patiently waiting for me to rise up and feed him. Sydney, my constant, loyal, 17-year old, purred next to me. When I finally got out of bed, I did him a favor and lifted him to the floor, knowing that his bones must ache just like mine.

I got to work at 0715, well before most. It was a quiet day, but filled with conversations with coworkers - friends really. In tough times, it's amazing how we come together to face the world with a united front. It truly takes a village to survive. I spent 4 hours with a former (and potential) customer from Latin America. They were so gracious, kind, and appreciative, and I felt like I wanted to swim in their love for a month of days.

In the coming days, I fear that people I know and respect will lose their jobs. I feel immune, but of course I'm not. My head is just firmly embedded in the sand of illusion. I'm just as vulnerable as anyone. Working in the travel industry in the best of times is crazy. In the worst of times it's plain suicide. I can only hope that the bloodletting is slow and a new world arrives in time to save us.