Y B Norml?

While pondering what to post today, I came across the following things. First, the phrase in the title to this post was splashed across a guy's computer screen and second, these photos came through in a link from a friend with a caption that David had been in America for two years and was now being returned to Italy--which do you think was the "before" America picture and which was the "after" America picture? Sad commentary on America huh?
So in America, there are a lot of things that are considered "normal". Unfortunately "normal" is fat, broke, sick, and stressed out. The following things are considered "normal". If you see yourself in any of these points, I challenge you to change and NOT be normal.

• Broke
• No savings
• Maxed out credit cards
• Overweight
• Obese
• Relying on the government (food stamps, welfare, unemployment)
• Relying on an employer for how much you can earn, if you can stay home sick, if you can go on vacation, which health insurance if any you can have, etc.
• Eating junk food
• Addicted to caffeine
• Addicted to other mood enhancers (drugs, alcohol, food, shopping, etc)
• Practically immobile (no exercise at all)
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Depression/mood disorders
• Feeling entitled
• Relying on the industrial food complex to tell you what to eat (mostly subsidized refined grains and sugars, very little fruits, vegetables, and whole grains)
• Enamored with status and "what other people think about them"
• Disconnected from friends and family
• Used to being treated disrespectfully (especially by their kids) but make excuses for their behaviour
• Afraid of lots of things (their boss, the possibility of the loss of their job, what others think about them, bill collectors, et al)
• Stressed. A lot. Like just this side of going postal stressed.
• Think that education ends at high school...or sooner
• Not prepared...they think the government will save them

You get the idea. Basically if the crowd is doing something, you want to run, not walk, the other direction. Some people may find themselves in every single point, others may have none of these things, but I think most of us (myself included) resemble some of these remarks. I'm trying to change this. Personal responsibility is the watchword of the day (actually of every day) and my new mantra is "y b norml?"