In 2008, I was 25 and in NYC. Seeing professionals with boxes full of work stuff, on their last days of work, was the norm. It felt like what I imagined the crash of 1929 and the dustbowl would be like.

2008 wasn't as bad as the 4-5 years of "echoes" it caused to roll through the economy here in the US. We had a long, major recession and people on unemployment for years without being able to find work. Actually, in a lot of ways 2008 felt very hopeful, like we could see the possibility for great changes and a road to a brighter future. Today, it feels like we're at peak cynicism and pushing higher, I don't know anyone that thinks things are going to get better.