The economy blows and unemployment is clearly an issue affecting almost everybody ... you probably at least know someone who was laid off. Doom and Gloom are angry storm clouds hanging over everyone's heads; hopelessness covers the faces of soon-to-be-graduates trying to enter the market, and veteran workers who are causalities to consolidation.
But it's not all dismal despair! Some people out there are trying to "get unemployed people psyched that they're unemployed" - and not in a callous way.
According to an Associated Press article an optimistic soul held an "Unemployment Olympics." His only goal was to bring some light to the darkness.
There were such events as Pin the Blame on the Boss (like Pin the Tail on the Donkey) and "those who missed the target sometimes hit other options scrawled on the colorful sign: The War, ARMs (adjustable rate mortgages), Consumer Spending, The FED and The Economy."
To compete, participant-hopefuls even had to go the "Employment Office" to prove they were in fact unemployed.
It might just be the fact that my job forces me to read all the big news every day, but I really do feel we are inundated with such negativity in terms of the economy. I know we're in a horrible place right now, believe me. But I love this idea. These people aren't trying to ignore or diminish the importance of their situation, but they are trying to deal with it in a way that can maybe bring a smile to someone's face.
(Also fantastic, and points for creativity, the pinata was stuffed full of PayDays)
For Maria Tapia the games were "a welcome relief from the anxiety that accompanied her layoff in January."
"I never knew that I wanted a job this bad until I didn't have a job," Tapia said in the article.
Stay strong!!
--- Brianna
