Over the past few decades, we seem to have forgotten that life works well when we keep certain things to a prescribed plan which has been tested and proven. All of the “fail” videos we watch with amusement are testaments to what happens when we go about life as if everything we do requires no responsibility. Let me explain.
Let’s say you decide to go to 7-Eleven and buy a Slurpee(R). This sounds like a simple thing, but it has several components to the experience. For the purposes of this example, we’re placing you in front of the dispenser for your purchase. First, you choose the size cup, then you have the initial task of selecting the lid to fit onto that cup. Your next responsibility is to fit the lid onto the cup securely so that your cup won’t pop the lid off when you fill it. You will also hold the cup firmly but not squeeze it. Then, you place the nozzle for the flavor you’ve selected over the hole in the lid and operate the lever to begin filling the cup. You are responsible for watching the process to stop the dispenser before you overflow the cup. Finally, you select a straw, remove its paper cover and deposit it in the provided trash container, and place the straw into your drink and proceed to the register.
Any deviation from this task list can result in a problem, in the form of a spill or explosion of the cup or, in the case of a conscious choice, leaving loose straw papers about which are “somebody else’s job” to clear.
The key to life, folks, is that we are all “somebody else.” That means if you take on a task, you should complete every aspect of it. It is your job to perform from step one until the last step. Many people are not taking on that responsibility. It shows in everything we are doing today.
We are sharing the road with drivers who have never changed the oil on their vehicles. Worse, they let their tires go bald, and when rust develops, hold the undercarriage of their vehicle together with everything from rope to duct tape to spray foam. Buying a vehicle carries with it the responsibility to keep it maintained so it’s safe on the road. Ignoring the processes which keep a vehicle safe causes accidents and fatalities. People who buy a vehicle and do nothing except put gas in the tank are examples of folks not following the responsibilities which come with vehicle ownership. Shops can’t do anything except record what they see (for a look at some examples, look for “Just Rolled In” on social media).
People who have children sometimes don’t do so responsibly. Their parents’ methods don’t always work raising today’s children. Occasionally the methods wouldn’t work with anybody, and the excuse “well, they didn’t do it right, but I turned out okay” is a copout. Some concepts of good parenting are well-proven and appear in online tutorials as well as self-help books. The duty of a parent is to take on the responsibility of guiding children through those years when they learn the basics, explore and test their environment and begin the quest for independence. This requires interaction from changing their diapers to picking them up at two in the morning wherever they find themselves. Too many parents can be found not engaging their children in anything resembling basic life skill learning.
Your pets should be spayed or neutered before they hit puberty. Your kids can witness the miracle of birth on one of a jillion videos online without bringing more mutts or alley cats into the world. Besides, the old rumor that “giving birth calms a mother dog/cat down” refers only to the short span of nursing time when females are happily jacked up on oxytocin, the hormone that helps the nursing parent endure the rigors of being a 24-hour feeding machine for a growing family. As it does with humans, it goes away and the original demeanor restored. It’s not an excuse to add to the population, for animals or people.
Back in the “good old days,” if you look at old photographs and advertisements, you will see that people followed a general ideal for daily living. People dressed neatly, children were well-mannered, nobody wore a logo on their clothing, carried around a support animal sporting multiple DNA backgrounds or drove a “clunker.” The results of mutual cooperation were peaceful and safe lives for everybody. We could have that again, but it would require a different mindset for the population, and some others would complain about it. The more we deviate from what works, however, the worse our world becomes.
Remember that next time you get ready to dispense that beverage.
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