~ Ellen Goodman


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28 Comments »

  1. Wonderful. Given what was said, why would anyone want to be normal. Looks like a lot of brainwashing taking place. Ms. Goodman is one of the most insightful columnists I’ve read. A declaration of independence of thought and action for all.

    Comment by Francis Torchio — December 7, 2008 @ 6:16 am
  2. My 79 Plymouth duster is paid for. I live on Social Security
    My apartment is subsidised by HUD and I buy all my clothes at Thrift town or Deseret Industries. So there!!!—Doug

    Comment by Doug Rosbury — December 7, 2008 @ 6:49 am
  3. Well Said!

    Comment by Sauce — December 7, 2008 @ 7:54 pm
  4. So what you’re basically saying Doug, is that the rest of us get to pay your way as well… thanks for taking my tax dollars and being all smug about it to boot.
    I like the quote.

    Comment by Bandit a la mode — December 9, 2008 @ 1:53 pm
  5. If he’s receiving social security it means he’s paid into the system.

    Comment by Andrew — December 11, 2008 @ 12:46 pm
  6. Actually, Bandit a la mode, Doug is living off Social Security, so he’s already paid for the pittance he’s surviving on. Thrift store shopping is recycling clothing, which is living green, so Kudos to Doug!

    Comment by Orphanannie — December 12, 2008 @ 2:12 pm
  7. Must agree with Bandit… very insightful original comment, though. Although, I ride an electric bike I already paid for to work… and I live in an apartment…

    Comment by junior — December 15, 2008 @ 7:31 pm
  8. Car is paid off, 5-year home loan thanks to rock-bottom real estate prices, and not a slave to fashion. Live on half my net income.

    Proud to be abnormal!

    Comment by Sheree — December 17, 2008 @ 6:34 pm
  9. 15 and still with my parents, still not living.

    Comment by Jeff Samardja — December 20, 2008 @ 5:23 pm
  10. The mistake is in thinking that you work only for pay – and need money only to be a consumer. That is not life. Start by working at what you feel passionate about – and would like to do even if you were not paid. That then sets the other priorities – where to live and how much to spend on other things. “Work” is not something to be done just to have a “Life” endorsed by the Sunday supplements. Work is who you are.

    Comment by Stephen Rees — January 27, 2009 @ 9:12 am
  11. What a bunch of jokers on this site. Puleeze people. Get over yourselves. You’re all in hock up to your eyeballs.

    Comment by Lola — January 27, 2009 @ 7:45 pm
  12. well if you dont live by the quote doug then i guess your not normal. So who gives a shit about you. plus social security if fucked up so in all honesty its no longer your money after a certain amount of time. so yes we do pay for old men like you to live free.

    Comment by well — March 30, 2009 @ 11:26 pm
  13. I get a decent taxfree income, own a house (two soon), and do whatever i want all day long. i hate almost all the robots i see going to their pathetic jobs all day in there sad litle self-esteem builders (overpriced cars) so they can pay for their sad empty houses…hahahahahaha i love it!!!!

    Comment by Attila Fawnridge — April 1, 2009 @ 9:47 am
  14. TO NUMBER 12: I seriously doubt you are going to be SO independently wealthy that one day when you’re a shriveled up, dust farting old timer you won’t need social security. Go tell that shit to your grandmom.

    Comment by Courtney — April 1, 2009 @ 4:22 pm
  15. What other choice do we have? Real choice of course, not just an idea!

    Comment by Jorge — April 8, 2009 @ 9:15 am
  16. There are better ways to live.

    Comment by S.Smith — May 12, 2009 @ 10:52 pm
  17. “Doug is living off Social Security, so he’s already paid for the pittance he’s surviving on.” Doubtful. He probably faked a back injury to fraudulently obtain disability, and so yes, he’s probably living off of our tax dollars.

    Comment by Rae — June 30, 2009 @ 9:05 am
  18. But what is the alternative. Having no money to buy clothes, a car, or a house.

    Comment by Woman — August 26, 2009 @ 5:55 pm
  19. It’s normal no matter how you look at it. Think about it we all do exactly the same thing day in and day out. So no matter I guess that’s normal….

    Comment by Judy — October 17, 2009 @ 2:02 pm
  20. Some people have no choice, other than suicide, to live normal.

    Comment by Bruce — March 7, 2010 @ 6:46 pm
  21. with that thinking a homeless man would be king in our sad pathetic lives. come on, the universe cant be explained that easily. normality is a path to peace which ultimately ends with boredom. for crap sakes, if your sad get a hobby. im a broke college student with no car, no girlfriend because i still live with mum and pa who are also my bosses. im always getting bullshit orders and embarrassing situations because of them , but yet listening to music i find on the internet makes me happy. oh dont curqtie lives that you haven’t lived because you are a observer not the maker.

    what if you had kids you had to support clothed and feed. would a sad miserable white collar job would be so bad coming home to a smiling child, a loving spouse, and a home you can feel safe in.

    Comment by nowie — March 16, 2010 @ 1:54 am
  22. to andrew comment 5 social security is welfare so ya know

    Comment by kitty — March 19, 2010 @ 9:52 am
  23. Doug, you are a faggot and a disgrace.. It is people like you who make me upset the future of our country.. Maybe if you would have given half an effort you could have something called a savings and a “life.” I’m sorry you have wasted your time.

    Sincerely,
    The College Student

    Comment by College — March 20, 2010 @ 10:06 pm
  24. i dont think this person knows what normal is or isnt…..we as people need clothes we need shelter …its how extreme we go to fit in or to be what is considered (normal) that should be looked apon as a bad thing not living your life and if you need to leave your house empty for a day or to ..to continue having amazing moment then so be it

    Comment by tina — March 21, 2010 @ 7:58 pm
  25. I gave up my car, my house, my dress clothes, my career… moved overseas to the ocean, live off what I “normally” made in the last 15 years (+ investments) to live “abnormally”.

    I am bored. After a while, what is abnormal becomes normal. There is not enough abnormal things to fill time. And I have done everything.

    Now I am going to try something different…get a job, buy a house on a lake back in MN, have a few nice cars, motorcycles, boat….again.

    Comment by Lucifer — March 23, 2010 @ 7:39 pm
  26. [...] “Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.” [...]

    Pingback by Time is on my side « The Travelling Trini — May 17, 2010 @ 5:20 pm
  27. re Social Security

    There are some who started getting SS when it first came about, who paid in nothing or next to nothing

    Then there are some who had taxes taken out nearly all their work life, and for them I think it’s okay to get it

    Then there are those like me, 50 yrs old, who have paid into it since I was 15, and it’s not gonna be around when I reach retirement age, because the gov’t has spent all the excess which they shouldn’t have done

    Who will I complain to then? All those who made the decisions to spend it will be out of office

    Be grateful, VERY GRATEFUL if you get it, as many won’t

    Comment by Mel H — May 19, 2010 @ 11:41 am
  28. @Rae: Do you know how hard it is to get disability when you’re ACTUALLY disabled, much less faking it? I know somebody whose husband can’t even stand up straight because he has such hardcore spina bifida and he’s been trying to get disability for 8 years.

    Comment by Jessie — August 6, 2010 @ 11:05 pm

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