I am a generally responsible person. I am sure that I have my lapses and my personal issues, but I think that I am responsible when it comes to most things. Perhaps the word "responsible" sounds a bit egotistical, but in this post I am not necessarily approaching it as a positive.
I think that my tendency toward this trait stems most specifically from my dad (though no one would ever say that my mom is irresponsible). He has felt an obligation to take care of my mom's parents, and now his mom, even though other relatives are also available to assist. They have done this to their own detriment out of a sense of duty.
I have gone through different phases with how I felt about responsibility. For a while I felt somewhat superior for being more dutiful than others. I am sure that at that time I seemed like a trumped up twerp to those I worked with. In retrospect, this was probably painfully evident in one specific job I had in high school.
In another phase of my life that wasn't so long ago I had some resentment about my responsibilities. I would see irresponsible people and wish I had the freedom to be irresponsible too, if even for a short while. This came down to the fact that I felt at the time I was never really given the choice to not be responsible. The likely negative impact of irresponsibility was greater for me than most other people. I do not think that I resent responsibility like I used to now, but I do sometimes daydream about being irresponsible.
Somewhere in there I developed a rather severe opinion of people who are irresponsible in life. I feel for the downtrodden who are disadvantaged through no fault of their own, but I have little sympathy for those who had every opportunity that I have had and simply made stupid or selfish decisions. That probably comes a little from disbelief that someone could be that way and a little from wanting to be a bit irresponsible myself.
Lately, I have been more philosophical about the responsibilities of life. I'm not asking what it all means, but rather how responsible are we supposed to be? I always operated under the assumption that responsibility is next to godliness (far moreso than cleanliness). I want to know how true that is. Golden sometimes says that she is like Martha from Luke 10:40. I never correct her, but Martha was probably more like me than her.
A common theme in narratives is that the regimented and responsible person needs to become more of a free spirit (it is interesting how it rarely works the other way around). I can buy that to some degree, but I don't know where the line should be. Everyone seems to have a different idea of where that line is, too.
I can't get rid of all responsibility. God, family, and work all deserve some duty from me. It can go overboard as well, though. At what point is doing something that is not incredibly responsible a good thing and at what point is it a bad thing?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
You have brought up an interesting issue. I think most people go through this phase in adolescence, where they shirk responsibility and live on the wild side. Then they settle down, have a family and a few kids, a job.
I did not go through this in adolescence myself. I went through this phase in my mid-20's. I settled down when I met BB, a little.
Not everyone goes through a phase like this, and I assume you didn't? BB and I both did, but we weren't raised in traditional christian homes like you and Sunrise were.
"At what point is doing something that is not incredibly responsible a good thing and at what point is it a bad thing?"
When you are in your 30's with a family, I find very few times that I can be irresponsible, but I do find them. And it feels good, once in a while, to not do "what seems the logical and right thing". But it usually involves inane things that don't really affect us too much, like letting the kids eat too much junk food at a carnival all day, skipping cleaning the house, the laundry, the grocery shopping and doing something totally irresponsible as a mom.
Wah-Wah pointed out some good "not incredibly responsible" things like the junk food, skipping cleaning the house (or mowing the lawn).
I think every adult needs a day where they can kick back and be a kid and enjoy themselves.
"At the point it is a bad thing" I think when it affects your immediate family in a severe way.
I see irresponsible people every day at my job. It is because of them, I have a job(so I guess I should thank them for being so irresponsible). Unfortuately I also see the effect their irresponsiblity has on their children. These are the people that still party hard and ignore or abandon their kids. It's sad when they have more kids when they can't even take care of the ones they have.
I feel like you that I never went through an irresponsible phase (I don't know if it's true but I feel it.) When I think, I'm keeping my world running by my responsibleness I try to remind myself, that I am not irreplaceable or omnipotent! It would be nice to be a little more free spirited at times. A little less Martha; a little more Mary. I always feel bad for Martha. Someone should help her.
Post a Comment