This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tabby Toney, a 38-year-old welder and former software engineer in Oklahoma. It's been edited for length and clarity. After I was laid off from my software engineering role last May, I was so angry at the tech industry. I loved tech because of the intellectual stimulation and creative problem-solving it provided, and I felt like that was being taken away as AI started reshaping the industry and job market. I decided to take a month off before