June 2, 2009
Black-and-white photos from the Great Depression show hordes of weary and bedraggled men jumping trains to travel from city to city in search of work, hoping to make enough money to take care of their families back home. They're a bleak reminder of a frightening time in our nation's history.
A scene out of the great recession of 2008 and beyond might find bathrobed men and women on sofas, riding the cyber rails of their laptops, hunting and pecking their way through job listings.
And where, early last century, stories of misery and an emasculating sense of shame were passed around like a nickel pint of rye, these days the economic victims are more likely to be bolstered by those in similar situations, sharing stories of hope and possibilities with each other via instant messaging, texts and e-mail; a fraternity of the furloughed, a sorority of severance ... (read more)
