It's a great time to be in love.

As you may have heard, our economy is going tits up and everyone is freaking out except my stingy brother who told me: "The people that make money through a recession are those that do not PANIC."

Everyday news is bad, but I try to keep up the "Don't Panic!" mantra, if not to keep myself calm, then to avoid giving customers the satisfaction of smelling fear, which they love. I work with a giddy laugh and a coy smile; I haven't a care in the world.

But it is nerve wracking when hours are whittled away, benefits shrink, and people are squeezed out like painful little turds. I lose sleep thinking how it is not the time to be working high-end retail.

Then a wonderful thing happened; my co-worker got engaged. Since her's is a cute dreamy love story that had a sad beginning and what looks to be a happy ending, we are all feeding off her love and excitement. It is the best thing that has happened in weeks. Everyone is all smiles now, even as we accept buyer's remorse returns and sell merchandise 50% below cost. It is so great that I am thinking of faking engagement to my lover once this first excitement wears off.

But I have a secret too. My lover gave me a present, more precious to me than some hand-me-down ring: a sweet-ass résumé!  Just in case.