Layoff Lust

In the downturn of the economy, no one wants to lose a job. At least that's the conventional thinking. Surprisingly, many Americans secretly wish that they would be laid off, given a nice little severance package and given some time to relax and enjoy life. It's not an option we're ever going to get from God.

We thought we'd be calm by now.

Edgy journalists and hopeful preachers predicted about a year ago that terrorism and war would prompt us to enter into a period of deep, spiritual savoring. We would chuck the ladder-climbing and experience a lifestyle more reminiscent of a saunter than a sprint. We would trade the joy of parking a Beemer at the office for the joy of parking our bods in a hammock.

We would - we were told - not stop to smell only the coffee, but also the roses, honeysuckle, holly and Mom's best homemade mac and cheese. Comfort foods made a comeback. Who cared about fat grams and cholesterol if there was a chance that somebody could detonate a dirty bomb in your favorite restaurant?

Overstuffed sofas and home theatre systems - with the emphasis on "home" - sold like crazy. We nested, in search of consolation. Editorial pages observed a similar transformation in cities from coast to coast. This is what they told us: The tragedies of 2001, with all their sorrow, "brought...