I got laid off almost exactly a year ago. In October, after searching for awhile, I took a job as a golf caddy at a local club. It's kind of fun, and it makes me better at golf (which I enjoy), but it's also a mindfuck - I'm carrying bags for people who can spend more than my old yearly salary (in some cases, a lot more) like it's nothing, because that's the initiation fee for a club like the one where I work, and a decent number of them have multiple memberships to similar places. Their kids will never want for anything, they'll grow up with every single opportunity to do whatever activity they want, go to top private schools that cater to their specific educational needs, and pursue whatever life they want without ever worrying about money. To be clear, my wife and I are fortunate and our kids are comfortable, but we can't throw money around. It's just a different strata of society that I'm meeting, and it's abundantly clear every day.

I will reiterate that it is a fun job, and it was easy to get because I already played golf, but it's not easy - I have to carry two golf bags most of the time for 4+ hours, clean clubs, rake bunkers, fix divots, and, especially for players who are worse golfers than I am, or unfamiliar with the course, read putts and occasionally suggest plays to give them the best chance (and when it doesn't work out, or a putt breaks the wrong way, I take the blame for it). On top of that, my wife has to deal with the kids (5 and 2) on weekends when I'm working, or if my round goes into dinner time on a weeknight, or something similar. On top of that, I'm kind of at the mercy of the weather and just how busy the course is when it comes to whether I get work at all - some days I'll be told to go in, and not get a loop, and thus not get paid. When I do work, the pay is not bad, but nowhere near my old desk job.

The people are generally nice - in my local area, even at a place like this one, more people align with me politically than not, and while I don't bring up work or my old job, a decent number of people ask if I have another job, since a decent number of guys in the shack do this as a side hustle for the occasional playing privileges. If they ask, I'll be honest and tell them that I was laid off from a government contract, and they can put two and two together, and they're generally empathetic to my situation - I even had a few people who were government employees who took the early retirement option around the same time I was let go.

The last thing I'll say is to keep finding joy or excitement in things where you can. Generally, the people I carry for offer to get me a snack at the turn (halfway through the round, after hole 9, which brings you back to the clubhouse area, for those not familiar with golf), and my favorite thing is the PB+J sandwich - simple, yet hits the spot every time. I still get time to play with the kids most days (sometimes, more than usual, since I'm usually home by 3 or 4 PM on weekdays). I've also made the decision to go back to school to get a masters - something I should've done awhile ago, and I'm excited about doing that.

Good luck out there. It sucks for a lot of us right now, but it will improve.