Count me among 'em

i'm a little above the top end of the age range, but the dynamic definitely applies...

[M]en in the prime of their lives, between 30 and 55 -- have dropped out of regular work. They are turning down jobs they think are beneath them or are unable to find work for which they are qualified.

About 13 percent of American men in this age group are not working, up from 5 percent in the late 1960s. The difference represents 4 million men who would be working today if the employment rate had remained where it was in the 1950s and '60s.

for a two and a half year period between 2001 and early 2004, i was beginning to think i was either going to be driving long-haul trucks or working as a wal-mart greeter... but things took a turn after that, and i've managed to land several short-term contracts each year since then, working in emerging economies in the balkans, a type of work i find exceptionally satisfying... if it continues, i will do well enough to keep from having to push a shopping cart with all my belongings down the street... oh, and, yes, i am extremely grateful... moreover, not working full-time and being out of a corporate environment has contributed immeasurably to my quality of life to say nothing of my mental and emotional serenity...

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