News about the economy’s potential for 2010 may be mixed, but some people who’ve faced the brunt of losing a job are looking on the bright side.

Reporter Julie Rose at WFAE in Charlotte, NC, found several friends and acquaintances who were enjoying their “time off” after losing a job. She reported for Marketplace:

The subject line of the e-mail read “LAID OFF!!” — all caps, two exclamation points. It was from my friend Jenny Van Stone, an interior designer. I felt terrible thinking of her down in the unemployment line. But a few weeks later, I started getting e-mails from her that were like, “Hey, can’t write now. Off to meet a friend for coffee.” Or “Headed to the park. We’ll talk later.

EconomyStory’s partner blog EconomyBeat found a great collection of humorous music videos by C.H.A.Z.Z., including this one, about getting laid off.

But serious questions about the job recovery still loom large as we start the new year. Maureen from Albany, New York asked NewsHour’s Paul Solman asking about how the recovery can happen if the jobs that get created are lower paying than the old ones.

The answer to that complex question is, unfortunately, both yes and no, according to Solman.

Can a country live with greater inequality than we have in the United States right now? Well, some countries certainly do. Can a country prosper in such an environment? It remains to be seen.