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There are some economic indicators that the Great Recession may be decelerating. Jobless claims are down, consumer confidence is up and prognosticators who claim to know a thing or two about these things believe that we may see a turnaround commence in late summer, with true but slow recovery in the third quarter of this year.

However, umemployment will continue to rise and may peak at close to 10 percent, as companies take a cautious approach to rebuilding. It may be three years or more before a palpable degree of job recovery is realized.

With a lethargic recovery perhaps in store, there are many industries that may still not be able to hang on for dear life. The economy, although technically out of recession, will still be extremely vulnerable to unforeseen events and imbalance in some sectors of the economy could plummet us back into bad times again.

Some industries may not return to anywhere close to their former glories. Like trying to bounce a tennis ball in a snow drift, the economic rebound may come up a little short.

But why worry about things we can’t control?

How do you compare this recession to others you have experienced over the years, in terms of its impact on your personal and professional life and on those in your circle of friends, peers and associates?

This is the worst economic downturn I’ve ever dealt with in terms of how many people I’ve known that have lost their jobs. It feels a little like being in a war, and each day another buddy doesn’t make it back to base, each day another empty seat in the mess tent.

Which leads directly into a mini-rant about Memorial Day, which has just passed. Over the weekend, I found it somewhat offensive to hear the phrase “Happy holiday” bandied about, and to view the proliferation of the splashy “Memorial Day Sale!” ads. Memorial Day should be much more about rememberance, gratitude, solemnity and humility — and less about hedonism.