When I was a child I had this recurring nightmare: the forest was on fire, I could see the smoke from my window, and the fire was getting closer and closer to my house.

That’s what this recession feels like to me. Friends of mine lost their jobs last week. The recession is getting closer, and scarier. The pain is real. The nightmarish heat is starting to singe.

As a child, I was always lucky enough to wake up before flames consumed me and my family. Now, I don’t want to wake up, lest I learn the recession is getting ever closer.