Down but not quite out

   A friend suggested I attend a support group for the unemployed, so I figured what the hell. It's not like I had a lot to do Friday afternoon at 1:30. Not like I had a job to go to. Why not? Maybe I'll learn about something. Maybe someone knows about where they're hiring. Maybe they'll have sandwiches and coffee.
   My biggest reservation is the location - Bellevue Baptist, the biggest church west of St. Peter's. Are we gonna pray for jobs? I've tried it many Sundays without results. What the hell? It's a better excuse to get out than going to the grocery store. A five-minute drive. Hang a left just past the crucifxes and park.
   I arrived just in time to find one of the last empty seats. I shared a table with three men and three women. All of us were in some stage of middle age, somewhere between 48 and 64. Too young to retire and too old to be useful in today's job market. My table in the back was all white, but the room was surprisingly diverse given the location. There were two black women, two Mexican women and an Indian man in the group of about 24.
   The moderator was a nice man. He opened with a brief devitional and quickly got down to business. On each table, there was a handout. 20 pages of e-mail and sugestions for job seekers.
   The moderator handed out a list of some 120 interview questions and we wet over possible responses, good and bad. Just like I used to do with the kids at Remington. I've taught this class. I know the answers. I only want to answer one question - does anyone know about a job?
   The group was called something like "Career Transitions" but most of the folks were still hoping to do something like what they've done their whole adult life. I've already set my sights far lower. I suspect that most of these folks haven't been unemployed long.
   I sat next to one guy who was obviously going through the anger stages of unemployment. He complained about the questions interviewers pose, over and over. He resented having to audition for a position he felt his background made him deserving. He probably had to interview with youngsters who could see his contempt.
While I understand his frustrations, I'm long past that stage. After years of being the boss, I welcome the opportunity to take orders from someone else.
   There was some discussion about dressing up one's resume and profile. The moderator advised against being dishonest, as well he should. A battered victim of the job market advised putting a positive spin of things and reminded us that an interview is a sales call. You only get the job if the interviewer buys what you're selling.