Our secret weapon? Responsibility.

It's been interesting watching this economic mess unfold.

I feel like I'm sort of on the outside looking in. I haven't yet run out of gas trying to find a gas station that still has fuel in its tanks. I still get a paycheck every two weeks. I still go to the grocery store once a week and spend roughly the same amount of money. I'm living my normal life, and I think I'm in denial.

I realized I have to start making adjustments because things certainly aren't normal. Five gallons of gas cost me $24 today. Gas stations and convenience stores are devoid of any activity, like those abandoned 1940s gas stations that you find on old highways in Florida. In fact, the entire country feels like it's a little devoid of activity right now. At least for me, it's like we're all holding our breaths, just waiting to see what's going to happen. Maybe if we sit tight for a while - take a rain check on that camping trip, postpone buying that new lawn mower for another week or two - maybe then things will settle out and we can get back to normal.

Things aren't going to get back to normal.

We've got to stop waiting for someone else to step up, and we've got to start being responsible. We have to learn to say no to things we don't need. We have to respect each other. And we have to respect this country.