Reply #56: I have had a constant heartache about my grown son's future.

[dixiegrrrrl]

They both are close to 40 now.
They are very smart, very good with money, and until recently they still believed all they had to do was find the "right job" in order to "get ahead".
They worked hard, stayed out of debt, got and lost jobs as the economy tanked in 1991 and 2001 and 2008, and have no hope of ever getting out of the rut, the system no longer works that way.
They are surviving ok, "getting along" ok, they have Top Ramen weeks and then things improve to hamburger and potatoes weeks, they drive 12 year old cars, one is working as a CAD operator for the one remaining company in his medium size town and he is making a whopping 12.00 an hour.
Fortunately, they are both single and have no intentions of marriage.

I bought one son a sweater for X-mas...his voice was cracking when he told me it was the first new clothes he had gotten in 5 years. He says now even the thrift stores have lousy pickings.

My heart is breaking for them.

I am furious down to the bottom of my feet towards the government and the "system" and the same o same o games being played in DC.