'A man of bronze' looks for work

David Blaha, a machinist by trade and a job seeker thanks to this recession, exemplifies the spirit of the Southland in his quest to find new employment. Undaunted by the challenge, comforted by the support of fellow job seekers and job clubs sponsored by the Catholic church, Blaha has faith that he'll find work.

"I think prayer helps me the most," the Orland Hills man says. "You have to believe it’s going to get better. You can't give in or give up."

In a crisp, vivid portrait, reporter Lauren FitzPatrick tells the Orland Hills man's story, one that can be told thousands of times over throughout the Southland in this time of high unemployment.

In the rear of the Orland Park Public Library, lifelong machinist David Blaha reports to work each morning. The silence is a world away from the din of the machine shop that laid him off nearly two years ago. The tools of his new trade are a laptop computer and the library’s reference books that offer advice on resume writing and prepping for job interviews.

He tinkers with applications now. He fixes appointments, all hoping to land another job as a maintenance machinist. Blaha, 53, of Orland Hills, now lives by this routine.

"Looking for a job is a full-time job," he whispered, mindful of patrons reading nearby. "That's why I get out of the house and come here." ...

Blaha adores machines. They’re in his blood. His Slavic surname translates roughly to "man of bronze." His father, a master machinist, lost his hearing working all his life in a machine shop. He can look at a part and visualize the mold that made it. And making machines work again thrills him.

"I have a natural knack with machines," he said. "Repairing something is like bringing it to life."

Read more at the blog Termination Date.