It’s one thing to be employed and read the layoff headlines that are flooding the country; it’s entirely another to be one of the masses. Now I am part of the ranks of daytime TV watchers. It’s been a week and so far I’ve repainted my entire apartment, reorganized my furniture, found my good friend a job (ironic, yes), and spent two hours hiding in the Twilight Saga universe. For someone who has made a recent effort to keep professional achievement at the front line of her life, this is a nonsensical time. For someone who is constantly skeptical of the work world, this is an even worse time.

It’s becoming clearer and clearer: work and life must be separate and self sustaining entities. This is nearly impossible, I know. I recall ranting about work needing to be satisfying and fulfilling, adding to our lives instead of squandering its pleasurable moments. I don’t feel that way today. Today, a job is a job. It is an unfortunate bi-product of the world we live in and the hard financial times we’re facing.

Many of us are in the Next Step phase of our lives. We’re dealing with employment downturn, financial instability, and the New Media revolution. It’s become too easy for these worries to spill over into our personal lives and bring us down. I, for example, find it daunting to even enter job-bulletin websites; to start that grueling search all over. That fear of job instability can be crippling, making procrastinators out of us, suppressors of our responsibilities.

Investing in a new job. Emotionally. Financially. Are we ever ready for this undertaking? Probably not. Maybe a better question is, should we be so invested? Should we really force ourselves to fall in love with out careers, depend emotionally on them, and let the rug be pulled from under us when they are taken away? Or should we fight to separate our personal lives from our jobs as much as possible? Punch in and punch out.  I’d love to know what the masses think.

Tomorrow is Halloween, possibly my favorite holiday of the year. It’s the kick-off to my holiday cheer. Yes, this is the one time when my skepticism is suspended. I certainly believe in ghost stories, playboy bunnies, and the timeless power of Jamie Lee Curtis.

Now, much to my dismay, I’m hearing that at a certain age it’s no longer acceptable to dress up in costume. Is there no happiness in the adult world?! I think celebrating Halloween is the therapy many of us need. It hasn’t been an easy year for anyone. The failing economy has put us all through much stress, anxiety, and many of us haven’t really escaped those feelings just yet. We’re coming closer to the new year and our fresh start, but January is still two months away. Halloween is everyone’s chance to pretend, make believe, and reconnect with their childhood. Something about dressing as a pirate or milkmaid makes the reality of this year fall into the background.

And if dressing up to drink with your friends isn’t distraction enough, there’s always the Halloween parade in New York City. There are enough people dressed as penises there to drive away even the most depressing financial worries. Some of us have been forced to grow up quicker than expected this year, so instead of taking away the last bits of fun 2009 has to offer, embrace your inner slutty nurse and dress up for Halloween!