2 conversations w/campus staff, 1 that floored me.

So, for teaching freshman writing, I have to use this one campus copy center a lot.

I know the staff decently well, this (older) (African-American) gentleman and a (middle-aged) (Latina) woman.

So, the other week I go in there for some copies, and it's just the guy, and around him helping me out with the order, we start shooting the shit about the university and the economy etc., and we talked a long time, often with him in a hushed voice.

He said that he's one of the only older people around on campus, and if you go around nowadays, it's all young 20-somethings in all the positions, since older people don't like the negative atmosphere, or b/c they all push them out b/c they all cost too much.

"And for younger people nowadays, even thirty thousand a year is like manna from heaven," I was like.

"Exactly," he was like.

He also said that he remembers how years ago people could buy maybe a bit of property or even a cheap second vacation house, but nowadays it's like you choose to go on vacation, or do repair on your house and buy a new door or something.

"No one really does any of that any more," he was like, shaking his head and thinking about vacations.

He also said he stopped getting cable, to economize.

"But you can only do that so much," I was like.

A bit later, his coworker came in, and she dropped that sometimes when it comes bill-time, she has to choose between paying bills or for groceries for that week.

Now, that floored me, but I can totally see it if you got a family.

She also said that just the other day she was talking with one of her family members about how their aunt who was a nurse's aide worked her way up and could treat the kids to museums and daytrips, but "not any more" can a person do that.

They both said that it feels like everyone across the country is feeling something is wrong, and is casting around looking for reasons.