Responsibility

What is it to be responsible? I find it fairly simple, yet there are so many people that I run across that do not get it. That is what I don't "get".

In the wiktionary, responsible is defined as follows:


Answerable for an act performed or for its consequences; accountable; amenable, especially legally or politically.
Capable of responding to any reasonable claim; able to answer reasonably for one's conduct and obligations; capable of rational conduct.
Involving responsibility; involving a degree of personal accountability on the part of the person concerned.
Being a primary cause or agent of some event or action; capable of being credited for something, or of being held liable for something.
Able to be trusted; reliable; trustworthy.

That being said, what is so hard about this? Why do so many people feel that they are not responsible for their actions or decisions they make?

If you accrue the bills, you are held accountable for paying them. Like it or not. If you don't like it, it is simple--don't accrue them!

If you have a child, you take care of that child. Otherwise, practice birth control. It is widely available, heavily advertised and even taught in schools.

If you can't afford to do something--simple-DON'T DO IT!

Ok, my DD won a flower this weekend at a baby shower. She forgot it. Not too surprising. She is forgetful. Always has been. This did not crop up after her two bouts with chemo, although I am quite sure that it has not helped the situation. Anyway, I took it. I didn't want it because I KNOW that I kill plants. I have a dud colored thumb. I don't know why, I would like to grow things, but it just doesn't come easy for me. I am hoping that I can keep it alive long enough to transplant it back to her! So, I am going to do the responsible thing and take care of it until then.

If I cannot afford to barely put things on the table for my family to eat, then I don't take a vacation out of town, no matter how much I think I need or deserve it. No, I go take a bath and for a moment I will be swept away by Calgon. At least until I hear scuffling outside the door!

A couple years back, my DH and I let ourselves get roped into buying into a Campground Association. While the concept is great and so are the parks, we just don't use it much. Yet, I still pay on it. I didn't just stop paying, as much as I would love to. I am hoping that it sells to a family with younger children who will get more use out of it. They will get a great deal and I will have paid a costly price for that lesson. But, it is our costly lesson. We did it. No one FORCED it on us (although that sales guy was good).

My DH and I try very hard to do for ourselves. I would say the only thing that I really ask for help with is driving. I have mergeaphobia. I hate merging, which does affect my ability to travel to certain places. So, I will ask for help here occasionally. I try not to overdo that either, because frankly, I feel like an idiot about it. I have come a long way, I used to have left-turnaphobia too. I am over that. I hope to get over the other one day.

My point is that I know so many who don't pay their bills, for whatever reasons, like they don't have the money yet everytime you see them they are sporting new duds. So many who don't take responsibility for their own kids, yet will bunk in with someone elses and be a great parent to them. So many that depend on others to further them in life, yet will cause their own roadblocks.

I do not want to enable this behavior anymore. I will step forward and tell them nicely how to do these things themselves and that I love them.