Everywhere

My mom lives overseas, so in our recent discussions she has been asking what signs we see of the global economic crisis. Of course, we've seen fewer people out shopping and lots of empty storefronts. Rent prices are almost reasonable and there are more empty apartments for sale.

But the most powerful economic indicator for me is the new nightly ritual that dominates our apartment every weeknight: for the first 30 minutes after arriving home, Michael and I discuss all of the ways in which we were almost laid off that day. We both talk about the scares of the day, the conversations about funding or billable hours, the terrifying emails and closed-door discussions that send shivers through our offices. Although we both believe we should be safe, these are terrifying and unpredictable times. We're scared.

This was not what I expected. Between us, Michael and I have 6 YEARS of graduate school education. We're both employed and enjoying the benefits of a dual income household. We're relatively young, cheap labor. All the doors should be open for us. The future should look bright.

But here we are, each and every night, talking through how we would survive unemployment - where we would live, how we would pay bills, what plans we would re-evaluate.

I suppose there are lessons to be learned from this uncertainty, but honestly, after living on next to nothing for the last few years, I don't care. I would be terribly grateful to be able to come home and swap stories of professional futures filled with promotion and wealth.