Things may not always go as planned; or hoped; or desired; or as we think that they should if there is a God.

Nope, things often just go. And how we respond to that may just determine who we are and how we will do with our own existence. How we react to the good and how we react to the bad. All responses are telling; all responses serve to mold us and, hopefully, instruct us for how to better respond in the future.

Responsibility is something of a rare commodity as of late. Many of us avoid it, many of us disdain it. Fewer and fewer of our children are instructed on how to accept it. Why is that, have you ever wondered?

I, for one, blame the parents- us. It’s as if whatever our kids do reflects completely on us- not just on us in terms of our ability to raise them but on us as people, the very core of what we are, of who we are. If my son has failed, I have failed; if no son flunks a test, it is me who flunked it; if my son strikes out looking it is me who could not pull the trigger…and I should hang my head in shame. Or, better yet, I can just blame it on someone or something else and shirk and responsibility whatsoever- that saves him and in saving him I am saving myself. Perfect!

But what happens when no one anywhere will accept responsibility for what they do, for what gets done under their watch?

If my kid hits another kid who is at fault? There will be those who take it (the abused) and those who think it is okay or just simply decide they were not responsible for their behavior. Sound ridiculous? Not really. Happens all the time.

Sometimes we can just claim ignorance- we just didn’t know. “I didn’t know Johnny was struggling with his math” (never mind the 3 D’s and 2 F’s he got in his last 5 assignments); “If Billy wanted to pitch he should have said something” (he did, coach, several times, and, like most kids, just finally gave up asking); “You mean my yelling at you was causing problems? I never knew…” (all tears ignored)..

Nothing could have been done to avoid this. I never had any idea. No one is special.   You’ll get your chance. It’s not your fault and it sure as hell isn’t mine. It really wasn’t my decision. There’s nothing I can do about it; there’s nothing you can do about it; there’s nothing anyone can do about it; there is nothing at all that can be done about any of this by anyone at any time…

When responsibility is evicted excuses move in. And before long even excuses aren’t needed any longer. No one is at fault and no one is to blame. So it would then follow that any action, that any activity is completely acceptable. Nothing at all is off limits.

Impossible? Maybe not…

Have you checked out our federal government lately?

After the previous 30 years of so of moving in this direction are you surprised?

Well, I still choose to bring up my kids differently and I hope that somehow it will make a difference- for them and maybe for those whose lives their own touch. Maybe it is not too late to re-inject some responsibility into this world- ourselves, our families, our children, our schools, our communities…

Our government? You can keep the “our” stuff- none of that was my fault.