i worked in a party store 1980-1982. there was a recession in the US and a lot of people were out of work in manufacturing, and i lost my job b/c sales were down. i collected unemployment for a year, if i hadn't been in a relationship, i'd have likely been living in the streets and for 2 awful weeks, i had food stamps ( i was very ashamed by that and wouldn't use them in them in my own neighborhood). in 83 a temp job as a clerk at the post office came through, and after the year was up, i started college for xray. 84-87, i was a full time student getting degrees and scholarships and working weeks at a time in the hospitals, but i graduated with a degree in radiography (xray) and went on for an advanced one in radiation therapy( cancer treatment). in 1988, my long relationship ended , i moved to another state, found a job, dated, kissed a few toads, met a few nice people, one of whom convinced me to move to move to ohio. which i did in 1989 and i've lived here since.
there were certianly tumultous times for me. sigh.