DETROIT, MI - It seems everyone is on a "find-your-roots" journey these days. Not to be left out, local wage earner, and occasional bread recipient, Fredrick Moody decided to put a spin on this popular vacation trend, ambitiously acquiring himself a one-way ticket to the city's more desolate, soul-sucking areas. Thus, embarking on what he solemnly refers to as his "Depression Tour". "With my full-time, minimum wage job, I figured, why not add a little excitement to my life? And by 'excitement', I mean the immediate realization of my career going nowhere in a city that's, at the same pace, rebuilding itself from its past bankruptcy," Moody cheerily shared in a conversation held over canned soup and discounted crackers. "Detroit - the city where dreams go to rust - seems like the ideal place for someone like me!" Leading the way in a battered ‘98 Honda Civic, Moody steered our roving caravan of miserable compatriots through streets that haven't seen a street sweeper since Motown was in its heyday. This ironical odyssey included visits to shuttered factories which, according to Moody, "perfectly encapsulate the future of my financial prospects." Moody further displayed an uncanny knack for dark humor, jokingly referring to a dilapidated housing project as his future summer home. "You know, when I need a break from all the fun at work," he added, while managing a laugh that resembled more of a choked sob. The Depression Tour concludes under Detroit’s infamous ‘Motor City’ sign, where Moody delivers his pièce de résistance: a rousing monologue about living paycheck to paycheck and the tough reality of an American dream that's become more like a nightmare for so many. "Wage slavery is no joke, but sometimes laughing at the dark side of our reality is our only defense against utter hopelessness," Moody shrugs, mustering a grin that's about as uplifting as a layoff notice on Christmas Eve. When asked about his plans after wrapping up this gut-wrenching journey, Fredrick shared, "I envision getting back to my day job and making the absolute most of it - which means continuing to be unable to pay my bills on time, drowning in student debt, and looking forward to my next exciting tour - The Museum of Unpaid Overtime." In a world hell-bent on sugar-coating the realities of a struggling middle-class, Fredrick Moody’s Depression Tour has struck a heartbreaking, disheartening, and strangely arousing chord. A vacation from hope, a journey straight down Despair Lane, it’s probably the most fitting tribute to our times that any wage slave, past or present, can embark on. Fellow wage earners, see you in Detroit.