In the 1980s texas went through 2 recessions because the price of a barrel of oil dropped out.

In the 1980s Texas went through 2 recessions because the price of a barrel of oil dropped out. I survived the first one but the second had me losing my job. Competition for jobs, in Houston,

in 1986, was brutal. I competed against former white-collar workers for $13k per year. The only jobs available that I could pursue was for the state's human services agency. I got the

last open job. It paid just under $1600 per month. But it was food and gas money. I was born into a middle-class Black family. My new co-workers, who had often worked there at least 5-10

years, for the most part, came from more humble beginnings. Our clients were poor. They came to us as applicants of welfare. I wanted to quit immediately but the vaporized job market gave me

nowhere else to go. I retired from that agency, after 24 years and 8 months. I suffered from culture shock constantly. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina sent many displaced Louisianians, to

Houston. I heard their stories about the disaster but also about their lives before the storm. During that time, I learned about how different people, of all races, lived and survived. I

realized that until then, I had lived a sheltered life. I am grateful for that long-term experience, though it was never easy. I have traveled to different parts of the US (including

Hawaii), to Jamaica and to Honduras (to help after the destruction of Hurricane Mitch). I have learned from all of these experiences. Plus, I have been in communion with people from all over

the world in college classes and international affairs groups. I am grateful. 🕊️👍🏾🧚🏿🕊️