On my way home I picked up some takeout from a place in Cameron Village. Waiting for my turn to pay, I noticed a man holding the familiar MasterCard with the Cardinal photograph and “North Carolina” on it. It was an icon to the jobless in North Carolina: the unemployment insurance debit card.
“Hey, I used to have one of those,” I said to him, maybe looking to boost his spirits, or drum up camaraderie.
“Yeah,” he nodded, seeming a bit embarrassed. “The design industry isn’t doing so well these days . . .”
He trailed off, but it didn’t matter. I knew exactly how he felt.
“Good luck,” I offered as he turned to pick up his food, and he thanked me.
It’s tough out there and a lot of people are just barely hanging on.
Circuit City is going to add something like 34,000 folk to the mix as they shut down. I get one day “off” every 2 weeks. It is passing scary out there.