Responsibility

I heard some talk about responsibility today. At this time of the night, I can't remember where I heard it. It was probably on the news in regards to corporate executives of failing companies who were taking millions of dollars in compensation for themselves.

I'm listening to the presidential debate on television right now. On some level, responsibility is a theme there as well: people making sacrifices for the economy, responsibility over voting records, health care, etc. Neither candidate tonight has respected time restraints. At one point, one of them said he was going over time because he was trying to keep up with the other one.

We live in a world (or at least a country) where personal responsibility has gone out the window. We're very quick to place blame on someone else (after all--it's McDonald's fault that their hot coffee is hot). I admit, it's been a pattern in my life as well. Blaming others gets us out of facing consequences (or so we think). But it's not helpful. Eventually we will get to a place where we're forced to take responsibility.

So I'm trying to do that more. My failures are my responsibility. So are my successes. My problems are my responsibility. So are my rights and privileges. That doesn't mean I should be isolated. What I am responsible for effects other people. And I don't have to face my failures and problems alone. But ultimately, they are mine.

Now, to get the rest of the country on the same page.