It's the end of the world as we know it

[It's the End of the World as We Know It-R.E.M.]

today, i saw something i never really believed would happen. GM, the auto industry titan, fell. today, GM filed bankruptcy. and i am scared.

this isnt just some event i am witnessing as an outsider, some headline splashed across the nightly news. this is my life. my mother spent the last thirty years working at GM, like my grandpa before her. my stepdad gave thirty-nine years of his life to GM. and now they sit and watch this all unfold, afraid they will lose everything they have spent their whole lives working for. we have already lost our dental and vision insurance, and the copays on the rest of the insurance have skyrocketed. My dad retired from GM too, so he stands to lose just as much. Of course im worried too. for my family. and for me. how will i be able to stay in college? will we lose everything?

and for anyone who thinks this will only affect people in the auto industry, well, they are idiots. nobody realizes yet how this will affect everyone. everyone. the trickle-down effect will be enormous. i dont think anybody realizes yet just how bad things are about to get.