Thank you for sharing; 52 years old.... that's ...uh... pretty young to be retired.
Your experience(s) as far as working and then getting layed off parallels what was happening up here in Flint and Metro Detroit at that time. Historically a person could plan on graduating from high school and hiring in "the shop" and working the next 30 years without drama. Not so much by the time you and I came along.
K