Well he obviously was. He was working at Best Buy.
Losing your job or failing to find a job in a field which isn't growing and having to make do with what you can is a fact of life and definitely an example of a non-linear career. There is nothing facetious there.
That might end up just being a way to live while waiting for something else, that might be the start of a career in retail. It's just how it is.
Most people do not benefit from a change in profession -- especially if you are a highly trained specialist.
Getting knocked out of your life-long profession is not something most people want to experience. My original post was about this and what happens to people when they find themselves in this situation.
It's harder on some than it is on other. You seem to be a highly resilient and optimistic fellow so I'm sure this issue is not as much a concern to you as it is to some other kinds of people.