Downsized - a Memoir by Mark O'Neal

My name is Mark O'Neal, and I embark on a journey of mental exploration and soul searching after being laid off from my job of sixteen years. I struggle and continue to struggle as I try to reinvent myself and adjust to the new economic climate in the United States. I hold back anger and fight uncertainty every single day, and I express this in my brief memoir that chronicles the first three months of my unemployment.

Many people can relate to being unemployed, but I'm sure some people can't relate to or empathize with my current plight. It all depends on what part of the food chain a person represents. One thing definitely rings true; the world is a difficult place for displaced workers, and the old methods of landing a job are obsolete.

I began the book by describing a typical commute to my job: the traffic, the hustle and bustle, and the eerie feeling I had once I stepped off of the elevator. My departure from a job that I held for close to twenty years has had some lasting effects on my psyche, but my strong faith helps me on an even keel. Downsized is a short but insightful read that I hope people find interesting.