Holiday Parties and the Econmic Crisis

After spending a month going to holiday parties, I feel like I acquired a first hand view of the impact of this economic crisis. So many people I met had lost their jobs, were working part time without benefits, had student loans they had difficulty paying off or owned small businesses that were struggling. Others who were employed felt they were being asked to do the work of two people. Most of these people were still getting by one way or the other, but saw little hope of an imminent reversal of fortune. This crisis doesn't quite feel like the great Depression because however frayed we do have a safety net, but it doesn't feel like any time I have lived though either. Scary stuff. Scary and sobering