I’m 64. I’ve been laid off three times over the years, starting well before COVID, and each time it forced a reset I didn’t ask for — new skills, new industries, new expectations. Like a lot of people here, I spent years adapting just to stay afloat, sometimes in work I hated, sometimes feeling like I was always behind or competing in spaces where I didn’t quite fit. COVID was the final shove off the path I thought I was on. What followed was a mix of loss, relief, and a long stretch of figuring out what “next” even means at this stage of life. These days I’m focused on building something on my own terms. I’ve found AI to be a genuinely helpful tool — not magic, not hype — just leverage and learning without gatekeepers. More importantly, I’ve learned I wasn’t broken. The system was, and a lot of us paid for that. If this resonates, you’re not alone. I appreciate spaces like this that favor honesty and practical help over hustle talk.